VALDEZ-LESS ATENEO STARTS TITLE REDEMPTION WITH A WIN OVER UST
By Ardyn Gonzales
4 February 2017
The Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles showed that there is indeed life after Alyssa Valdez with a convincing 25-20, 25-21, 25-22 victory over season’s host University of Santo Tomas in the first day of the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament held at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Ateneo, who also lost UAAP Season 77 Finals MVP Amy Ahomiro and Mae Tajima, came out strong in the first set, quickly piled up points to get an early 10-4 lead. The Lady Tigresses led by two-time beach volleyball MVP and newly-appointed team captain Sisi Rondina tried to come back to tie the game at 13-all.
But an attack by the rookie Kat Tolentino started a run for the Lady Eagles and got the lead back to claim the first set, 25-20.
It was a tighter match during the second and third frames but both the attacks and blocks coming from the Katipunan-based squad were just too much for the Lady Tigresses.
The void left by the scoring machine Valdez was filled by the teamwork of Morado, Maraguinot, De Leon, and the come-back girls Morente, Madayag, and Tolentino. But on the other side, it was just Rondina and Laure who scored double-digits for UST.
The Lady Eagles hope to continue the winning streak as they face NU on February 7 while the Lady Tigresses have a tough job ahead trying to bounce back against the defending champion La Salle on February 11.
Player of the Game: Jhoana Maraguinot, 15 points (13 attacks, 1 block, 2 service aces)
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