ATENEO put an end to University of Santo Tomas' four-match win streak with a 25-20, 25-20, 25-20 victory, keeping alive its bid to make the Final Four of the UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball tournament on Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Faith Nisperos bounced back with 18 points from 15 attacks, one block, and two aces, while Vanie Gandler contributed 12 markers from 11 attacks and one ace as the Blue Eagles rebounded from a tough loss to National University and rose to a 5-5 record.
Joan Narit also stepped up with 11 points from nine kills and two blocks as Ateneo punished the error-prone UST, which committed 16 miscues in the affair.
The Blue Eagles scored five unanswered points capped off by Gandler's ace to turn an 18-all deadlock in the third set to a 23-18 lead.
Fittingly, it was Nisperos who capped off the win with a thunderous spike as Ateneo got back at UST after its four-set loss in the first round.
Vanie Gandler and the Blue Eagles improve to 5-5.
"Sabi nga namin sa isa't isa, we have to take this win home. So indeed, we want to take this win home," said coach Oliver Almadro. "We're not looking at it na kailangan straight sets. We're just doing our job. We prepared for this and nag-manifest naman sa kilos ng mga bata."
Eya Laure scored 14 points from 11 kills, two blocks, and one ace for the Tigresses.
Yssa Jimenez and Ypril Tapia both had five markers each as UST suffered its first straight-set loss this season to fall to 7-3.
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