Motolite-Ateneo shoots for first semifinal berth

Kat Tolentino (middle) will play a key role for the Lady Eagles as they seek a semifinal berth. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Motolite-Ateneo, hardly mentioned in title conversations when the conference started, is now on the verge of securing the first semifinals berth in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference on Saturday.

And no one was more surprised at the way the Lady Eagles are playing than their coach, Oliver Almadro.

“First of all we didn’t expect to reach the Final Four when we first joined this tournament,” said Almadro, the animated mentor who brought titles to the Ateneo men’s team in the UAAP.

“I am just new and we are just developing our own system. We joined this tournament for experience. But my players showed the right attitude and trust in each other,” he added.

But the young, highly motivated Lady Eagles will have to get through one of only two teams to have dealt them a defeat—the BanKo Perlas Spikers.

Games start at 4 p.m. at Malolos Sports and Convention Center.

With Kat Tolentino, Bea de Leon, and Maddie Madayag leading the charge, Motolite-Ateneo has proven itself against a tough field.

Tacloban and PetroGazz collide in the other match.