Ateneo handed women’s champion Santo Tomas its second straight loss with a surprising straight-set sweep, 25-23, 25-14, 25-20, in the 73rd UAAP volleyball tournament on Saturday at The Arena in San Juan City.
The win was the fourth in eight games for the Lady Eagles as they try to keep in step with vastly-improved National U – a 25-12, 25-17, 14-25, 25-23 conqueror of University of the Philippines – for the No. 4 spot in the team standings.
After surviving a tough first set, Ateneo had an easier time in the next frame where it zoomed to an early lead before cruising through to take a 2-0 lead.
The Tigresses, who seemed out of sync after suffering a stunning three-set loss to league-leader La Salle, could not find the needed spark in the third set as they allowed the Lady Eagles to post an early 9-3 lead.
UST closed in at 15-18 but Fille Cainglet stepped up for Ateneo to help the Lady Eagles fend off the Tigresses’ comeback bid and register their third straight win to join NU with a 4-4 slate.
Cainglet led Ateneo with 15 points behind 13 attacks and one block.
Earlier, the Lady Bulldogs continued their bid to earn a first-ever Final Four spot after posting a four-set 25-12, 25-17, 14-25, 25-23 win against the Lady Maroons.
NU easily won the first two sets but could not close out the match as UP, behind Angeli Araneta, who was quiet early in the match but came alive in the third, extended the game into a fourth set.
NU coach Francis Vicente experimented with his line-up and put in his second stringers in the third set, where the Lady Bulldogs trailed midway at 11-16.
UP posted a 13-9 edge in attacks in the third set and forced NU to commit eight unforced errors against the four they registered.
But NU recovered their bearings in the fourth frame as Maricar Nepomuceno, Railen Sante, Mervic Mangui and Carmina Aganon teamed up to secure the Lady Bulldogs’ fourth win in eight outings.
With UP threatening at 23-24, Nepomuceno ended the contest with a kill by eluding the defense of the Lady Maroons’ Joyce Palad and Southlyn Ramos.
Nepomuceno paced NU with 17 points behind 14 attacks and two blocks.
Jon Perez, GMA News TV
