Lady Eagles lose to DLSU in heartbreaker

Photo by Kevin Ochoa for goATENEO.com

The Ateneo Lady Eagles ended Season 73 of the UAAP Volleyball Tournament with a heartbreaking loss to top seed De La Salle Lady Spikers. The two teams’ semi-final match-up went the distance as the Lady Eagles forced La Salle to play five highly competitive sets, eventually losing two sets to three (24-26, 25-21, 17-25, 28-26, 10-15).

[See complete game stats of the this Final Four game]

Despite being heavy underdogs, the Lady Eagles were determined to give La Salle a fight and make up for their listless performance last February 6. Their last game against La Salle saw the Lady Eagles get swept in three short sets. This time, the Lady Eagles refused to be intimidated by the taller La Salle players and turned in an energetic performance that drew cheers from the crowd.

Fille Cainglet and Angeline Gervacio each scored 19 points for Ateneo. Bea Pascual, Gretchen Ho and Kara Acevedo bounced back from subpar games against La Salle as they combined for 30 points.

In the opening set, it was clear that the Lady Eagles were determined to be aggressive and attack DLSU’s defense. After a 4-0 run that saw La Salle take an 8-3 lead, the Lady Eagles steadily chipped at the deficit, eventually taking a 19-18 lead. The lead grew to three after several excellent plays from the Lady Eagles and errors from the La Salle players. The green team did not go down easily, however. They took advantage of Ateneo errors late in the set to win by two, 24-26.

The close loss in the first set did not dampen the Lady Eagles’ spirits; on the contrary, the girls came out with even more fire in the second set. It was a tightly contested second set that saw the two teams trading points. Several attack points from Pascual, Ho, Acevedo and Gervacio gave the Ateneo a 20-18 lead.

[More photos of the Ateneo-La Salle Final Four game]

The second set showcased the talents of team captain and setter Jem Ferrer as she continuously set up her teammates for scoring opportunities. It was a welcome sight for the Ateneo crowd who saw Ferrer struggle with her game for the last two games.

Fille Cainglet came alive in the final moments to score three of the last five points for Ateneo. The set ended 25-21 in favor of the Lady Eagles as they steadily took advantage of the La Salle’s errors.

The third set was the only one that La Salle won handily. For the first time the whole game, La Salle’s blocking defense clicked into high gear, preventing the Lady Eagles from scoring via their spikes. Ateneo did not help their cause by committing several errors, including service errors from Gervacio and Ho. The Lady Eagles were able to whittle a seven point deficit down to two, 15-17, but late set errors once again doomed the Lady Eagles.

It was the Fille Cainglet show for the Lady Eagles in the exciting fourth set. They took an early 8-5 lead thanks to attack points from Acevedo and Ho, but Cainglet provided the highlight of the set. She hit a vicious spike that went right on the face of La Salle player Michelle Gumabao. Cainglet continued her scoring onslaught on a variety of spikes, giving Ateneo a 17-12 lead.

Photo by Kevin Ochoa for goATENEO.com

Graduating player Bea Pascual also contributed to the team’s efforts in the fourth set. She even garnered a warning from game officials for exhibiting an emotional response after blocking a La Salle attempt. Ferrer continued to handily set up the offense for the Lady Eagles, confusing the La Salle players with a variety of sets.

Despite Cainglet’s scoring and Pascual’s blocking, the Lady Spikers fought back with all their might. The two teams put on a display of awesome volleyball late in the set. Two straight kills by Cainglet gave the Ateneo a 24-23 lead before Abigail Maraño scored again for DLSU. Two more attacks by Cainglet placed the Lady Eagles ahead, 27-26, before Pascual provided the knock out punch and won the set for Ateneo, 28-26.

In the final set, the Lady Eagles were able to get a 3-1 lead before La Salle went on a 6-0 scoring run. Despite scoring attacks by Gervacio, Acevedo and Ho, the Lady Eagles were unable to get into an offensive rhythm. Cainglet was unable to provide the same scoring spark as she did in the fourth set, and the Lady Eagles ran out of steam late in the game. The set ended 10-15.

Although it was a sorry loss for the Lady Eagles, the season was still successful as they managed to be in the Final Four. Despite being unable to match their third place finish the previous season, the Lady Eagles refused to go down without a fight. This was a Lady Eagles team that started the season slow, yet put the league on notice with a seven-game, 21-set winning streak, taking down defending champions UST along the way.

The Ateneo Lady Eagles will clearly be a force to be reckoned with next season as their rookies look to improve their game, and their veterans gain even more valuable experience.

Photo by Kevin Ochoa for goATENEO.com

By Camille B. Naredo