UAAP: Valdez, Ahomiro team up as Ateneo downs FEU

The Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles finally tallied one under the win column, cruising to a victory over the FEU Lady Tamaraws in straight sets, 25-18, 25-23, and 25-18, on Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

 

“Today, everybody had motivation and was strong,” said Ateneo Head Coach Anusorn Bundit. “In the first game, they did not have motivation. Now they do.”

 

With two sets already in the bag, Ateneo took advantage of an FEU squad that committed three errors in the last five possessions to win in three straight sets. Ateneo and FEU now share identical 1-1 win-loss cards.

 

Ateneo ace Alyssa Valdez top-scored for the team with 23 points off 19 attacks and four service aces, while seldom-used Amy Ahomiro and rookie Ana Gopico scored 13 and 12 points, respectively. The Katipunan-based squad managed 42 attacks and eight service aces.

 

Both featuring line-ups with a heavy infusion of young blood, the Lady Tamaraws and the Lady Eagles equaled each other early. Valdez, last year’s scoring leader, took charge for Ateneo after rotating to the front, evening the game at 6-6 after seeing her team succumb to errors. A plethora of scorers chipped in for FEU while Ahomiro and Tejada cashed in on hits from the sides, giving them an 11-7 lead early.

 

As Valdez found herself upfront anew, the junior unleashed a series of attacks. The power of her hits proved too much for FEU’s blocking and reception, as Ateneo went up 20-12. FEU, however, took advantage of Ateneo’s defensive lapses, as Genevieve Casugod exploited Ateneo’s single block coverage. Ateneo saw its lead trimmed down to just three points, but attacks from Ella de Jesus and Ana Gopico wrapped up the set for Ateneo as they went up one set to nothing.

 

Valdez sustained the energy early in the second set with three straight points, putting FEU in a deeper hole at 7-2. FEU, however, recovered after the technical timeout. Capitalizing on errors while having Remy Palma up in front, the Lady Tamaraws cut Ateneo’s lead to just two points, after an attack from Simborio, 10-8.

 

Ateneo’s rookies – Gopico, Morente, and Gequillana – put together a string of errors that enabled FEU to grab the lead for the first time, 11-10. An attack by Simborio and another error by Gequillana widened Ateneo’s deficit to three points, 13-10. The two squads traded points, as Ateneo dangled a one-point lead which either Simborio, Pons, or Palma retrieved for the green and gold, while Valdez and Ahomiro carried the offensive load for the blue and white.

 

Ateneo managed to get some separation as Ahomiro found her stride from the sides, scoring two consecutive hits from the left to give them a 22-20 lead.  Two errors from Ahomiro and Morado tied both squads at 23, but an error by Pons and an open hit by Valdez dispensed with the second set, 25-23.

 

Far Eastern U took an early edge in the third set, leading by four at 5-1, but Valdez bailed Ateneo out as soon as she shifted to hit from the sides, finally erasing the Tamaraws’ lead by knotting the game at 5-5. Ahomiro’s blocking was a huge boon for Ateneo as her deflections kept FEU’s smaller hitters in check, while Valdez and Gopico took advantage of Casugod manning the single block coverage, 12-9.

 

Casugod, however, found some momentum offensively after shifting to the middle, as one of her kills cut the deficit to just a single point, 16-15. Contributions from Gopico and Ahomiro kept Ateneo afloat while Valdez was relegated to the back row. Errors by Casugod hurt FEU, as Ateneo went up by four, 20-16. After a hit by Basas and an attack by Ella de Jesus that sailed out, the Lady Eagles went on the decisive 5-0 run that netted them their first win after the Fab Five era.

 

The Lady Tams had a hard time finding a rhythm on offense, with no clear number one option. The likes of Casugod, Simborio, and Palma provided marginally, scoring eight, seven, and six points respectively. They tallied 30 errors- nine more than Ateneo’s- and converted on only 26 kills.

 

The Lady Eagles look to continue their winning ways as they face off against Mayette Zapanta and the rest of the Adamson Lady Falcons on Saturday, December 14 at 4PM, while the Lady Tams look to bounce back on Wednesday, December 11, as they square off against the UP Lady Maroons at 2PM. - RAF, GMA News