Lady Eagles shut out Tigresses as life without Valdez starts

Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

It was only the first point of the match, but the sequence may have encapsulated the happy transformation the Ateneo Lady Eagles are undergoing as they ushered in the post Alyssa Valdez era.

Salvaging what looked like a lost rally, libero Gizelle Tan set up Jho Maraguinot, who soared for a down-the-line kill.

The first few points looked more of the same, with Ateneo coming out on top, reinforcing the general feeling that the Lady Eagles will be fine without Valdez.

“I think people expected us to have jitters and everything,” said Ateneo skipper Jia Morado after the Lady Eagles hacked out a 25-20, 25-21, 25-22 victory over the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses Saturday night at the start of UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament.

“At the end of the game, our training showed and hopefully we will continue improving in the next few games.”

Ateneo prepared for life without the two-time Most Valuable Player with training camps in Thailand and Japan.

National University also opened its campaign on a winning note, but not before toiling past University of the East, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-13.

Jaja Santiago imposed her will in the fourth set to finish with 21 points, helping put away a scrappy UE squad that showed flashes of improvement following a season where it snapped a 58-game losing streak.