UAAP volleyball: Lady Eagles oust 14-time champs Tigresses

The coaching staff of the University of Santo Tomas' women's volleyball team watched helplessly on the sidelines as a player, supposedly one of their own, ended their season. Former UST High School standout Alyssa Valdez tallied 22 points on 18 attacks to lead the Lady Eagles to a 25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 25-19 win over 14-time champions Tigresses in front of a sell-out crowd on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City. "This is the fruit of my four years with Ateneo," said Lady Eagles coach Roger Gorayeb. "My time table is to make the finals next season, but it came a year earlier." The Lady Spikers became the second Ateneo team that will be playing in the finals in the second half of the league's 74th season. Ateneo's baseball team will also be playing for the title. The Lady Spikers will face archrivals and defending champion La Salle, which swept the elimination round, in the finals. The Lady Archers enjoy a thrice-to-beat advantage in the title series. Valdez, late in the fourth set seemed to be wincing and dragging one of her legs. The prolific rookie has had numerous run-ins with cramps during the season. The Batangas native, however, mustered enough willpower to score the final point of the fourth set, ending UST's season in the process. Ateneo, led by team captain Fille Cainglet, took the opening set as the Lady Eagles' defense consistently denied UST's offensive duo of Maru Banaticla and Maika Ortiz. UST, with scorers Banaticla and Ortiz grounded, struggled to put points on the board. The Tigresses managed to turn tjhings around in the third, as Ateneo scrambled for reception. As soon as Valdez committed a service error in the 2-1 mark, the Tigresses never looked back. Ateneo libero Denn Lazaro had trouble with her receptions as Banaticla, coming alive in the third frame, devoured the Lady Eagles' defense by scoring seven points.   With the window of opportunity still open, UST tried to hang on in the fourth set, but the Katipunan-based squad were determined to oust their opponents from España. Cainglet found the perfect angles to launch her reliable spikes while outside hitters Gretchen Ho and Angeline Gervacio also stepped up for Ateneo on the defensive end. A combination play set for Gervacio put the game at match point, which Valdez ended with a kill.   Game One of the UAAP women's volleyball finals is on Wednesday, February also at The Arena. — JVP, GMA News