JORELLA de Jesus of Ateneo (No. 8) delivers a spike against La Salle’s Mika Reyes (No. 9) and Kim Fajardo. EDWIN BELLOSILLO/FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo goes for the biggest stunner of the season while La Salle seeks a fitting end to what started as an incredible run in the UAAP women’s volleyball championship Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Both the Lady Eagles and the Lady Spikers believe that the intangibles will come into play more when they battle in the do-or-die 4 p.m. match of what has been an epic title series.
“We must have confidence,” said Ateneo star Alyssa Valdez, this season’s Most Valuable Player. “If we don’t have that, there will be doubt. We’ll commit errors, overthink and lose our focus. As coach said, we just have to believe in ourselves.”
The Lady Eagles aim to complete their amazing climb to the top and become only the second team in league history to overhaul the thrice-to-beat advantage of the top seed.
But even if momentum doesn’t seem to favor the Lady Spikers, La Salle skipper Abigail Maraño thinks her team can reassert its dominance and claim a historic fourth straight crown.
“We have to play with more heart,” said Maraño. “We have to work harder and think of ways on how to win again.”
The Lady Spikers, unbeaten for 30 games in the last two years, suddenly faced a threat to their reign after the Lady Eagles stunned them in two of their last three games in the series.
For La Salle coach Ramil de Jesus, the Lady Spikers can still succeed in their second try to become the first team in over 40 years to win four straight crowns.
“We have to give our all,” said De Jesus. “We lost our focus [in Game 3] and we can’t start that way again.”
The Lady Spikers came back from two sets down, but the Lady Eagles proved steadier in the heart-stopping fifth set to hack out a 25-21, 25-23, 18-25, 16-25, 17-15 Game 3 win that pushed the title series to a fifth match.
“We have to play even better,” said Ateneo’s Thai coach Anusorn “Tai” Bundit. “Play with heart.”
The Lady Eagles survived three straight knockout games in the stepladder semifinals, including an upset of No. 2 squad National University that toted a twice-to-beat advantage.
But Valdez’s crew showed they’re serious in their title bid when they shocked the Lady Spikers, 17-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-20, in the finals opener.
The Lady Spikers bounced back in Game 2, 25-14, 25-20, 19-25, 26-24, to move within a win of another title.
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