Lyann De Guzman and the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines —With her former coach on the other side of the court, Lyann De Guzman stayed focused on leading Ateneo past Oliver Almadro and University of the Philippines on Wednesday.
De Guzman dropped a career-high 24 points, 18 excellent receptions, and 11 digs to lift the Blue Eagles to a come-from-behind 22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-9 against Almadro and the Fighting Maroons.
The do-it-all hitter, though, said that the UP mentor is running a different system with his new team.
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball first round
“But it was still a different opportunity playing against our old coach. It’s great, but we just had fun.”
The Blue Eagles are now in the win column after a season-opening loss to University of the East and a five-set loss to NU and De Guzman believes that they are slowly finding their groove.
UAAP volleyball: Ateneo beats UP, former coach for first win
“We’re starting to get our consistency and like what coach said, we just need to keep playing and playing even though we’re down two sets. We need to have a strong mind and hang on,” said De Guzman.
With Ateneo battling archrival La Salle on Saturday, De Guzman and the Blue Eagles are aware of the magnitude of the match for school pride as they hope to sustain their momentum against the defending champion.
“This win is helpful for us in boosting our confidence. We all know we’re doing great because we do well in training,” De Guzman said. “We just need to show our hard work during the game, follow coach’s system and stick to our roles inside the court.