Ateneo blanks La Salle in UAAP women’s volleyball finals opener

MANILA, Philippines-It’s still a perfect run for Ateneo as it trampled De La Salle University in game one of the UAAP Season 77 Volleyball Finals 25-18, 25-19, 25-19, Wednesday afternoon at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Eagles, which are armed with a thrice-to-beat edge, just needs one more win to take their second UAAP Volleyball tiara after their Cinderella run in 2014.

Game two is on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

READ: Only God can say if we’ll sweep La Salle, says Ateneo’s Valdez

Not only did the Lady Eagles score the opener, but they also stayed unbeaten in 15 games.

Alyssa Valdez got the touch to give Ateneo the game one win with her tap finding the open spot on the Lady Spikers’ field.

Ateneo head coach Tai Bundit said his team followed his plan and some other things.

“I just tell them ‘if you play happy you can win,'” Bundit said.

It was La Salle’s Christine Soyud who unluckily gave Ateneo the match point, 24-19, when her attack went too far out.

La Salle played without team captain and leading scorer Ara Galang who suffered an ACL and MCL tear on her left knee.

Compounding the Lady Spikers’ injury woes, Camille Cruz also went down in the third set after injuring her right knee when they were trailing, 22-18.

READ: Volleyball community sad for La Salle injuries—Valdez
Valdez said they just need to heed their coach’s instruction and they will not have a problem.

“We just need to relax, stay happy, so that we don’t have a heavy feeling on the court,” Valdez said.

She added that even without Galang, La Salle will still give them a fight and they had to adjust with whoever Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus fielded in,

As always, Valdez led her team with 25 points with Bev Morente coming in at a far second with eight points.

Cyd Demecillo had 10 to lead La Salle.

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