‘New-era’ Lady Eagles proud and happy to be back in the UAAP finals
LONG CONSIDERED as the team that featured phenom Alyssa Valdez, the Ateneo Lady Eagles have done a good job stepping out of the shadow of the now-graduate volleyball star, heading back to the finals of UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball.
Surviving a tough challenge put up by the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in their Final Four encounter last Sunday in four sets, 25-22, 25-10, 16-25 and 26-24, the Katipunan-based team is heading to its sixth finals appearance in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), and first in the post-Valdez era.
Like what they have done for much of the ongoing season, Ateneo banked on a total team effort to get the better of FEU, which started the game slow but made things difficult for the Lady Eagles as the match progressed.
Comebacking Michelle Morente showed the way for Ateneo, which held a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four but saw no need to use it, with 16 points, 12 off spikes.
Jhoana Maraguinot had 14 while Bea De Leon had 12. Setter Jia Morado had 51 excellent sets to go along with five points.
Returning to the finals, the Lady Eagles said they are very much proud of what they have achieved at this point, especially since questions hovered over them at season’s start as to how they would perform sans Valdez.
“After two rounds of elimination play and the Final Four, I think we have already adjusted playing without Ate Ly ( Valdez). Of course we miss her hits but I think we have proven that we can play on our own,” said skipper Morado following their win over FEU.
“We are happy to be back in the finals. All the sacrifices and sweat in training have paid off. The work we put in during the eliminations bore fruit,” she added.
COMEBACK
Missing being part of the team last year because of academics, the finals return of Ateneo is doubly meaningful for Morente.
“It’s a great feeling to play in the finals. Last year I was not with the team and it was tough watching them. But this time around I was able to help, contribute and I’m proud of the team,” Morente said.
In the finals, which is a best-of-three series and begins on Saturday, April 29, at the Mall of Asia Arena, Ateneo faces the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers in a rematch of last year’s championship series.
In the championship in Season 78, La Salle edged out its rival, 2-1, stopping Ateneo’s title streak to two.
This season, however, the Lady Eagles have had the number of the Taft-based spikers, beating the latter in each of their two encounters in the elimination round.
But despite that, the Lady Eagles are looking at their finals rematch with the Lady Spikers as a totally new game.
“The finals is a different game. Each team will give their 100% and anything can happen. As what we have been doing all season long, we are going to prepare for every team we are going to face. Our mind-set will still be the same,” said Morado.
“And it is not so much about exacting payback on La Salle but more of winning a championship,” Morado added as she described further how they are treating their upcoming finals match with La Salle. —