ADAMSON’s season-opening domination of Ateneo reached another level in the third frame when the Lady Falcons erupted for a 16-1 start on the way to a straight-sets victory.
Runs of that magnitude are already rare in basketball, but they’re even more difficult to pull off in volleyball, especially with one team already hitting two technical timeouts with the other managing just a solitary point.
READ: Adamson rides 16-1 run to finish off sweep of Ateneo
Apparently, however, that terrific tear by the Lady Falcons wasn’t merely a product of momentum or favorable breaks.
Sophomore setter Fhei Sagaysay revealed that beyond their sharp late-game execution, they also made a conscious effort to read the Blue Eagles' tendencies and capitalize on vulnerable stretches.
“Nakikita po namin ‘yung [vulnerability nila nu’ng Set 3] kasi we also felt that po sa past seasons at ‘yung mga preseason games po namin,” Sagaysay shared with SPIN.ph.
“Natuto rin po kami du’n na dapat maka-side out agad at ‘wag nang hayaan maka-run ‘yung kalaban.”
Adamson’s familiarity with Ateneo proved crucial, as the former had previously swept the latter to capture the Cebu leg title in last year’s Shakey’s Super League preseason tournament, gaining valuable insight to when and where to attack.
Sagaysay orchestrated the offense with precision, consistently finding the right weapons at the right moments, including top scorer Shaina Nitura, Frances Mordi, and even rookie Abe Segui.
“Hinahanap ko lang kung sino talaga ‘yung poporsiyento sa right state na ‘yun,” she said.
“Kapag break point po sa’min, hinahanap ko kung sino ‘yung eager na pumuntos at natutuloy-tuloy din po ‘yun sa consistency ng serving ni Frances.”
Fhei sets 'em up for success
With more scoring options now at her disposal, Sagaysay has also shown the willingness to take matters into her own hands when needed.
She finished the match with 13 excellent sets and eight points, stepping up in key situations when the attack needed a spark.
“Depende naman po ‘yun sa nangyayari sa loob ng court. Kapag kailangan ng side-out at hindi makuha ng mga spikers ko ‘yung puntos, ‘yun na ‘yung mga sitwasyong tine-take advantage ko para maka-score at ma-stop ‘yung run ng kabila,” she said.
Despite the dominant win, Sagaysay acknowledged that the Lady Falcons remain a work in progress. In particular, she pointed to her need to build even stronger connections with her attackers.
As she put it, “Hindi ko po masabing sobrang tibay na kasi we need to work on pa ‘yung connections namin kasi ‘di pa kami konektado talaga ng mga spikers ko.”
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