UP loses to Ateneo, but wins Valdez’s praise

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Ever the humble victor, Alyssa Valdez is not the one to demean her felled opponents. 

Ateneo easily dispatched University of the Philippines in the Final Four to make its fifth straight appearance in the championship round of the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament, but even after a dominant performance, Valdez spoke highly of her beaten foes.

Valdez was quick to give praise to the Lady Maroons, who are all first-timers in the Final Four including their head coach Jerry Yee.

“Definitely, let’s give it up to UP,” Valdez said Saturday. “They gave us a good fight.”

Ateneo’s three-set victory over UP read 25-19, 25-16, 25-21, but it was in the third set where the Lady Maroons showed their spirit, threatening to push the match to a fourth set after coming back from a 15-10 deficit.

Valdez, however, silenced UP’s rally and its raucous crowd as she delivered Ateneo’s last five points.

UP’s Season 78 was sort of a fairytale ride with its rookies the ones who led the team statistically while the seniors were there to provide the leadership.

“For a rookie team, a young team, it was also their first time to enter the Final Four, congratulations,” Valdez said. “Congratulations.”