Lady Eagles highlight journey in latest crown

Lady Eagles highlight journey in latest crown

Lady Eagles highlight journey in latest crown

Lady Eagles highlight journey in latest crown

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By Michael Angelo S. Murillo

THE Ateneo Lady Eagles are back on top of women’s volleyball in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines after claiming the Season 81 title over the weekend with a straight-sets win over the University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses in their rubber match Game Three.

It was a culmination, the Lady Eagles said, of what was a season journey that tested their person in more ways than one and to come up on top in the end made it all the more special and satisfying.

Fell early in their best-of-three UAAP finals after being swept by the Tigresses in the series opener, the Lady Eagles recalibrated and won the next two, capped by their own shutout victory in Game Three on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-22.

Much like the way they went about all season long, Ateneo used a balanced attack to outsteady and outlast a gallant UST crew to earn its third UAAP women’s volleyball title and first in four years.

Kat Tolentino, the team’s leading scorer for the season, was in familiar territory in Game Three, top-scoring with 15 points.

Maddie Madayag had 10 points of her own with Bea De Leon and Jules Samonte adding six apiece and Ponggay Gaston chipping in five.

The win gave multi-titled men’s division coach Oliver Almadro his first title in the women’s side, and on his first year.

It also afforded graduating players De Leon, Madayag and Kim Gequillana a champion exit.

The championship also turned out to be the swan song for Tolentino, who later on Saturday said she was already foregoing her final year of eligibility in the UAAP.

While they are happy to be back on top, the Lady Eagles underscored that it was only one part of the season and the in-between from training camp all the way to the finals was equally deserving to be celebrated.

“It’s not all about today but all of the hard work that we put in and the ups and downs that we experienced. Coach O (Almadro) believed in us, had confidence in us and we put in the work,” said Gequillana, a converted libero and now holds the distinction as the Lady Eagle with the most UAAP title of three.

“It was really team work that put us here,” she added.

For Mr. Almadro, their road to the championship was not easy, marked with many people doubting them and internally dealing with many adjustments.

“It’s not how you start but how you end it. We lost our first match of the season [against rivals De La Salle] and many counted us out. They said we lack this, we lack that, but we made it. It’s faith [in God] and the courage that we showed. We worked as a team. I’m really thankful to the players for trusting the system. It’s not yet perfect but they trusted it and worked hard to make it work,” said Mr. Almadro, who led Ateneo’s men’s team to three straight titles before taking on the women’s team job in the offseason.

The Ateneo coach went on to say that the UST series was in a way representative of how it went for them in Season 81.

“UST pushed us forward. We also lost the first game and they exposed us. But in turn the players understood what they needed to do and saw what we as team wanted to happen,” said Mr. Almadro, who heaped praises to super rookie Eya Laure, graduating captain Sisi Rondina and the rest of the Tigresses for putting up a good up fight and making it hard for them.

Now back as champions, the Lady Eagles said work continues for them, especially with the key departures they will be having.

“We have to continue bettering ourselves and believe in God’s plan. Our main weapons are faith, courage and taking on the challenge. Of course we have to develop our skills, it will not go away. We are now the champion and we have targets on our back,” said Mr. Almadro, who shared that they will bank on the rookies who are coming in for next season and the holdovers moving forward.