Lady Eagles glad to have regained momentum

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

ECSTATIC they may have been after an incredible comeback win, the Ateneo Lady Eagles look to gear up for the more important task ahead.

“It’s not just about winning [Game 2],” said Ateneo’s three-time MVP Alyssa Vadez. “There are big responsibilities after.”

Just a win shy of a third straight championship, the Lady Eagles intend to get the job done against fierce rival La Salle in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the UAAP women’s volleyball Finals this Saturday.

“It’s really the end goal of the team [that matters],” said Valdez. “We have to go back and train and prepare physically and mentally.”

“The momentum is with us now,” added Ateneo veteran Amy Ahomiro. “But like I said, we just need to have confidence in ourselves and as a team.”

In one of the season’s best matches, Game 2 not only showed the Lady Eagles’ resilience but also Valdez’s phenomenal talent and will to push herself beyond physical limits.

The Lady Spikes looked all poised for a title romp, but the defending champions pulled off an amazing rally from two sets down, 18-25, 26-28, 25-17, 25-16, 15-11, to forge a winner-take-all contest.

“We have to remember the things we did right,” said Valdez, who admittedly felt sore and exhausted late in the match, yet still took over in the deciding fifth set for an awe-inspiring 34-point performance.

“We have to analyze all the things we did wrong and try to fix them during training.”

Like the Lady Eagles, the Lady Spikers also hope to put emotions aside and focus on their second shot at reclaiming the championship in the knockout match, set at 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“Surprisingly, [the players are] upbeat,” said La Salle athletic director Nongnong Calanog, who spoke on behalf of the team after Game 2. “Everyone talked and they don’t want to put this one year of hard work down the drain.”

Instead of dwelling on the heartbreak, the Lady Spikers aim to sharpen their game again like in their surprisingly quick disposal of the Lady Eagles in the series opener, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21.

“There’s nothing we can do but go back and play,” said Calanog. “We have to see what areas need improvement. Hopefully, we can make the adjustments.”