Lady Eagles try to soar while staying grounded

It is easy to get lost in all the hoopla of the winning streak that the Ateneo Lady Eagles are currently riding—one no expert could have predicted considering the team lost its heart and soul in Alyssa Valdez.

At any point during that run, The Lady Eagles could have overdosed on confidence and slipped on an unsuspecting foe.

But here they are, the targets on their back, still soaring.

“We really try to keep ourselves grounded during this winning streak,” said superstar setter Jia Morado. “Coach Tai (Bundit) keeps reminding us that every team will be preparing for us. Anyone can win any game. All we can do is keep preparing.”

So far it has worked out pretty good for Ateneo.

The Lady Eagles shoot for their eighth straight victory and try to put a foot inside the Final Four when they take on Far Eastern University Saturday in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at 4 p.m. at Filoil Flying V Centre.

And assistant coach Sherwin Meneses believes the team has still a lot more to show.

“I don’t think we have peaked yet,” he said in Filipino. “We still can play better than we are playing now.”

A win against the Lady Tamaraws assures the Lady Eagles of at least a playoff for a Final Four slot. Although a semifinal appearance is practically wrapped up already for the team, considering how the Ateneo machine is humming.

“You don’t have to tell [anyone] what to do, they already know what to do,” Morado said.

University of Santo Tomas, meanwhile, saw it’s own volleyball engine conk out against Ateneo, their four-game win run snapped Wednesday.

UST coach Kungfu Reyes said the team is confident they can bounce back to reignite their quest for the Final Four.

“Even back then when we didn’t win games, we were very optimistic,” said Reyes, whose wards battle winless Adamson at 2 p.m. —MARC ANTHONY REYES, BONG LOZADA