MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo caught National U in its worst form in the first two sets then spoiled its third set fightback with a strong windup to complete a 25-19, 25-13, 25-23 victory and move in the threshold of the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Collegiate Championship before a big Sunday crowd at The Arena in San Juan City.
The Lady Eagles sustained their form coming off a knockout match with the UST Tigresses, dishing out a superb all-around game despite the absence of head coach Tai Bundit and pouncing on every Bulldog error, poor reception and sloppy floor defense to score the surprisingly one-sided one-hour, 12-minute victory.
“We knew we needed to come out strong for us to get the momentum,” said Ateneo star player Alyssa Valdez, who finished with 20 hits, including 15 attack points, and later took the MVP honors.
“Coach Parley guided and helped us while coach Tai was out,” said Valdez, referring to assistant mentor Parley Tupaz, who took over from Bundit, who had to honor a previous commitment back home in Thailand.
NU did play without guest player and former ace hitter Dindin Manabat but the rest of the Lady Bulldogs played below par that had coach Roger Gorayeb shaking his head in frustration over his wards’ failure to step up in the first two sets.
“What’s happening? What’s lacking (in your game). You need to be confident, especially in reception. If we can’t receive, we can’t get any attack,” said Gorayeb.
The Lady Bulldogs, who swept the FEU Lady Tams in their side of the Final Four of the league sponsored by Shakey’s, rose to the challenge in the third frame, which they controlled with Jaja Santiago finally re-asserting her height and reach advantage and Myla Pablo and young Jasmine Nabor combining for crisp hits.
But after Santiago scored on a quick set for a 16-14 NU lead, the Lady Bulldogs yielded the next two points on service and attacking errors. Still, NU fought back on a Pablo kill and Ateneo’s mishit to regain another two-point lead at 20-18 but Ateneo unleashed a strong finishing kick, taking seven of the last 10 points, capped by Jhoanna Maraguinot’s brutal crosscourt kill that put the Lady Eagles to within a win from wrapping up the championship in the league presented by PLDT Home Ultera and backed by Mikasa and Accel.
Ateneo, which ruled this conference in Season 9 over UST in sudden death, guns for the clincher on Sunday.