Ateneo-Motolite overcame Myla Pablo’s power game and the veteran Pocari-Air Force crew, hacking out a 25-23, 17-25, 25-20, 30-28 victory in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Open Conference before a big Sunday crowd at Imus Sports Complex in Cavite.
Kat Tolentino, Bea de Leon and playmaker Deanna Wong took charge for the rookie-laden Lady Eagles, who rallied in the third set and recovered from a fourth-set meltdown to deliver the victory for debuting coach Oliver Almadro.
“We’re already preparing for the fifth set but the players refused to lose,” said Almadro, who also drew big games from rookies Vanessa Gandler and Jaja Maraguinot.
Pablo rallied the Lady Warriors from 10-15 down in the fourth with her power hits, the last shoving Pocari to a 28-27 lead. But the Lady Eagles, led by De Leon, forced another extension.
Ateneo rode on that momentum as it scored the next two points, including a Tolentino kill block and another quick hit by de Leon that the Lady Warriors failed to neutralize, enabling the Katipunan-based squad to tie opening-day winners PetroGazz and BanKo-Perlas.
The Angels and the Perlas Spikers were disputing the solo lead at press time.