Ateneo forces do-or-die Game 3 against UST

The Ateneo Lady Eagles will live for one more day as they survived the UST Golden Tigresses, 26-24, 14-25, 25-21, 25-15.

Photo: Zeke Alonzo

After a neck-and-neck opening in the fourth period, Maddie Madayag sparked a 4-0 run to lead, 8-4, as they headed into the first technical timeout. From there, the Katipunan-based squad dominated the set and never looked back, even leading by as many as 12 points, 21-9, late in the final frame. A service error from UST sealed the deal for the blue shirts, who won the match with a 25-15 margin in the last set.

Ateneo and UST kept each other close in the first set, 26-24.

In the second set the Tigresses had a hot start, opening with a 5-1 lead. Ateneo tried to inch closer, 18-14, but the Tigresses made a run to end the set 25-14.

Early in the third set, rookie of the year Eya Laure had a fall due to a mild sprain, but eventually returned late in the third set. However, her absence may have affected the rest of the Tigresses, who ended the third set with 21 points.

"I just really wanted to rally them and remind them how hard we've worked for today, and how all these sacrifices all these months have prepared us for this day. We believe in ourselves and we believe in each other," Ateneo team captain Bea de Leon said.

Madayag topped the Lady Eagles in scoring with 17 points, 10 of which came from attack points. De Leon also made 10 points from spikes.

"We started really slow in Game 1 and naunahan talaga kami and we had such little time to prepare after coming from the FEU game. There was little time to adjust," she said.

Prior to the Finals, Ateneo also forced a win-or-go home match against the fourth-seeded FEU Tamaraws to book a return ticket to the Finals.

Sisi Rondina topped the Tigresses in scoring with 22 points.

Despite the loss, Rondina said she was thankful to have her family there to watch the Finals for the first time.

"Thankful kasi naramdaman nila paano sumuporta ang UST community. Nandoon sila, nakasaksi sila kung ano 'yung UAAP. Thankful pa rin na kahit natalo kami, nakita nila na ganun sila mag-cheer sa amin. There's always a word na come back stronger," she said.

Rondina is also grateful that Laure's injury did not seem to be serious. "Thankful pa rin kasi di ganun kalala nangyari kay Eya. Alam kong babawi kami, it's just a bad game," the season MVP.

UST and Ateneo will battle for the title on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena. — LA/BM, GMA News