ATENEO stormed from behind before outlasting University of the East in five sets, 20-25, 25-16, 22-25, 25-15, 15-13, in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Blue Eagles blew five match points in Set 5 from 14-9 up before skipper Lyann de Guzman landed the finishing blow off a cross-court hit.
She’d go on to produce a triple-double of 17 points, 13 digs, and 13 receptions, as Zay Pacia had her back with 17 points, 14 digs, and 10 receptions of her own.
Ateneo's One Big Fight
Having trailed since the start, it took a 9-2 blitz from 1-7 down in the second set before Ateneo had its first taste of the lead.
It went on to lose Set 3, but the trio of Pacia, AC Miner (23 points), and Yvana Sulit willed the Blue Eagles back in the fight with a 10-point drubbing of the Lady Warriors to force a fifth-set tiebreak en route to victory.
Such a strong show of will is one head coach Sergio Veloso laid by design the moment he first took the reins of the Katipunan side last year.
"In my first day last season, when I met the players, I told them 'Hey, my philosophy, you need to (have a) strong mind.' This is so important because it can improve our technique, it can improve the tactics, and the system," Veloso said.
"Now, it’s the time to show this because we prepare for any situations mentally, too."
The blue-and-white had lost five of its last six matches — none of which as tough as losing three players in Sobe Buena, Zel Tsunashima, and JLo delos Santos for the rest of the year with season-ending injuries.
For the third time in the last four seasons, UE ended the first round of prelims play without a win.
The only time they didn’t go winless in Round 1 was in Season 86 when the Lady Warriors won their season opener against, ironically, Ateneo in four sets.
An explosive 24-piece from Van Bangayan and Kayce Balingit's near triple-double of seven points, 14 digs, and 15 receptions went for naught.
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