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UAAP: Ateneo Lady Eagles dispatch La Salle, enter finals after 14-game sweep
The Lady Eagles celebrate a point against the Lady Spikers. KC Cruz
The Ateneo Lady Eagles swept the elimination round of the UAAP Season 77 women's volleyball tournament after defeating archival De La Salle on Wednesday before a jampacked crowd at Mall of Asia Arena.
The defending champions won 25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 27-25.
The Lady Eagles will enjoy thrice-to-beat advantage in the finals after another heroic performance from superstar Alyssa Valdez. Coach Tai Bundit also drew great performances from several role players including Jhoana Maragunot, who scored the winning point.
The Lady Spikers were relegated to the stepladder playoffs after finishing the elims with a 12-2 record for second place.
Valdez finished with 29 points for Ateneo, while Bea de Leon and Jhoana Maraguinot added 11 and 10 points respectively.
Ara Galang, meanwhile, topscored La Salle with 20 points, but received little support from the rest of the Taft-based squad. Mika Reyes had eight points, while Carol Cerveza and Cyd Demecillo tossed in seven points apiece.
La Salle suffered from a slow start in the first set, allowing Ateneo to lead by as much as 15-7 before fighting back toward the end of the frame. The Lady Spikers cut the lead to 21-18 after a string of points from team captain Galang, but the Lady Eagles held their ground to draw first blood.
Ateneo continued their relentless attacking in the second to mount a 14-9 cushion, but La Salle bounced back big after the Katipunan-based crew lapsed into a slew of errors. The ladies in green scored eight straight points with Kim Fajardo on deck, turning the tables 17-14.
The Lady Eagles tried rally back, but the Lady Spikers did not let the momentum to get away from their grasp and closed out the set with a kill by Demecillo.
The teams then went into a fierce exchange in the third, not allowing the other to pull away ahead and forced a 22-all deadlock. But La Salle was suddenly arrested by a meltdown, throwing away two services that allowed Ateneo to lead two sets to one.
The deadlock continued in the fourth set as both teams refused to give in, but Ateneo gained a 22-21 leverage down the stretch. Coach Ramil de Jesus then made a bold move for La Salle, pulling out Fajardo and sent Desiree Cheng in to do the setting duties.
Cheng immediately responded as she set up Eli Soyud for a kill, but the ladies in blue reached matchpoint with a timely drop ball from setter Jia Morado, 24-22. La Salle continued to hold on, eventually forcing a 25-25 deadlock, but Maraguinot finished the game for Ateneo with back to back hits. —JST, GMA News
Valdez finished with 29 points for Ateneo, while Bea de Leon and Jhoana Maraguinot added 11 and 10 points respectively.
Ara Galang, meanwhile, topscored La Salle with 20 points, but received little support from the rest of the Taft-based squad. Mika Reyes had eight points, while Carol Cerveza and Cyd Demecillo tossed in seven points apiece.
La Salle suffered from a slow start in the first set, allowing Ateneo to lead by as much as 15-7 before fighting back toward the end of the frame. The Lady Spikers cut the lead to 21-18 after a string of points from team captain Galang, but the Lady Eagles held their ground to draw first blood.
Ateneo continued their relentless attacking in the second to mount a 14-9 cushion, but La Salle bounced back big after the Katipunan-based crew lapsed into a slew of errors. The ladies in green scored eight straight points with Kim Fajardo on deck, turning the tables 17-14.
The Lady Eagles tried rally back, but the Lady Spikers did not let the momentum to get away from their grasp and closed out the set with a kill by Demecillo.
The teams then went into a fierce exchange in the third, not allowing the other to pull away ahead and forced a 22-all deadlock. But La Salle was suddenly arrested by a meltdown, throwing away two services that allowed Ateneo to lead two sets to one.
The deadlock continued in the fourth set as both teams refused to give in, but Ateneo gained a 22-21 leverage down the stretch. Coach Ramil de Jesus then made a bold move for La Salle, pulling out Fajardo and sent Desiree Cheng in to do the setting duties.
Cheng immediately responded as she set up Eli Soyud for a kill, but the ladies in blue reached matchpoint with a timely drop ball from setter Jia Morado, 24-22. La Salle continued to hold on, eventually forcing a 25-25 deadlock, but Maraguinot finished the game for Ateneo with back to back hits. —JST, GMA News
