Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Defending champion Ateneo started off its reign with an emphatic sweep of National University 25-21, 25-19, 25-14 in the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament Sunday at San Juan Arena.
Maddie Madayag rose up to the occasion and blocked the Lady Bulldogs’ Myla Pablo to seal the Lady Eagles’ impressive victory.
Lady Eagles team captain Alyssa Valdez said a solid win in their first match does not mean future games would have similar outcomes.
“It’s just the first match of a long tournament,” said Valdez. “We’re really happy. It’s character [building] for the team especially for the younger players that I’m with.”
“Definitely I learned from them. Hopefully they also learned from the game. As they say, you also learn from wins and not only from losing.”
Playing in her final year, Valdez scored a game-high 18 points while Madayag and Bea De Leon added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Myla Pablo and Jaja Santiago put up 11 points apiece for the Lady Bulldogs.