Ateneo Blue Eagles. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo surrendered a set before sending University of the East to its knees, 25-17, 25-23, 24-26, 25-10, on Wednesday in the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Vanessa Gandler and Faith Nisperos alternated in pummeling the UE side of the floor in the fourth and final set as the Blue Eagles recovered from a forgettable third frame in notching their first victory of the season.
Gandler and Nisperos both finished with 14 points after accounting for most of Ateneo’s attacks together with Geezel Tsunashima, who delivered 13 markers and had her own share of the exploits in breaking the hearts of the Lady Red Warriors.
Tsunashima formed a formidable trio with Gandler and Nisperos in anchoring the Blue Eagles to an 8-0 spread in the last frame after the team got a dressing down from Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro for giving up a set.
The Lady Red Warriors put up a semblance of a fight through the efforts of KC Cepada and Riza Nogales, but Ateneo didn’t blink this time in shoving UE down to its second consecutive defeat.
Gandler’s ace pushed the Blue Eagles way ahead, 21-9, with miscues on the other side accelerating UE’s downfall.