UAAP Finals Game One: La Salle, Ateneo clash for the fifth straight year

For the fifth consecutive year, the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Tournament finals will once again feature two squads that have dominated the competition since the start of the decade. Continuing a rivalry that initially began in basketball, the De La Salle Lady Spikers and the Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles will face off in one of the most highly anticipated championship series this season as they lock horns tomorrow, April 23, at 4 pm in the Smart-Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Lady Spikers barged into the finals after overcoming an upset-hungry FEU side in two games. They lost the first match in five sets, 15-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 16-14, but were able to pull themselves together to win the second game in a sweep. Meanwhile, Ateneo had little trouble putting away the fourth-seeded UP Lady Maroons, sweeping them in the first game to book a ticket to championship round.

Eight-time champions La Salle are gunning for their ninth title after falling short in the past two years. The Lady Eagles, on the other hand, seek to continue their dominant run in the volleyball tournament by winning their third straight championship. Neither objective will be easy to achieve, as both powerhouse teams will leave it all on the court in their quest for the title.

A brief history of their success

The Taft-based squad have figured in the finals since Season 71, making this their eighth straight finals appearance. With a strong generation of players passing on the reins to a younger yet equally talented set of players, the Lady Spikers have been consistently successful over the past 14 years. Along with great coaching and strong fan support, the Green-and-White rose to the top of UAAP volleyball, overtaking regular favorites UST and FEU.

Ateneo’s ascent to the UAAP elite coincided with the arrival of star spiker Alyssa Valdez, who started playing for the Katipunan-based squad in 2011 right around the time Ateneo’s original Fab Five composed of Fille Cainglet, Jem Ferrer, Dzi Gervacio, Gretchen Ho, and Ailysse Nacachi were at the peak of their respective careers. In her first playing year, Valdez led the Lady Eagles to their best elimination-round record in team history, with a championship appearance to boot. Since then, ADMU has never missed the finals and were awarded their first title two years later.

Battles over the years

Their last four clashes in the UAAP finals have proven to be exciting and incredibly competitive. In their first battle in Season 74, DLSU held an overwhelming thrice-to-beat advantage after they swept the elimination round. They would win the series against their rivals in three games, with Lady Spiker Cha Cruz winning Finals MVP. The following year, La Salle didn’t have an advantage anymore but nevertheless swept their opponents in the series, this time behind the efforts of Ara Galang and Aby Marano.

It was the Lady Eagles’ year in 2014 after overcoming adversity to win the crown. After upsetting NU in the semis, they faced a Lady Spiker squad that once again held a thrice-to-beat incentive. Ateneo, however, was unfazed by this. Led by Valdez, they went on to win in four thrilling matches, highlighted by a thrilling five-set match in Game 3.

Carrying on the momentum from their first championship, Ateneo won all their games in Season 77, from the elimination round all the way to the Final Four. Losing Galang to a knee injury in the Final Four, La Salle could not keep up with the Katipunan-based squad this time around as they were swept in the finale behind the exploits of Finals MVP Amy Ahomiro.

Splitting the Season 78 regular season series

During their first round encounter, the Lady Spikers caused a huge upset as they beat Ateneo in a straight-set match, 25-22, 25-14, 25-18. It was team captain Kim Fajardo who was named Player of the Game after leading La Salle to victory with 16 excellent sets and a game-high 13 points on seven aces. Galang and MaJoy Baron also chipped in 10 points each, while Mika Reyes added nine points. Meanwhile, Valdez led ADMU with 11 points on 10 attacks.

The first frame saw a tight match between the two teams, but errors made by the Lady Eagles enabled DLSU to eventually take the opening set, 25-22. Carrying the momentum gained from the previous set, the Lady Spikers grabbed an early eight-point lead on four service aces. ADMU attempted to catch up but was only able to cut the lead to six. Eventually, the Lady Spikers took the second set at 25-14. The third and final frame saw Ateneo in the lead midway through the set. However, La Salle went on a run to take the lead and defended it throughout the remainder of the set to win the match.

In the second round, however, the Lady Eagles made up for their previous loss against La Salle, winning in five sets, 21-25, 25-22, 25-16, 21-25, 15-5. This time, Valdez finished with 24 points on 20 attacks to lead Ateneo to victory. Jho Maraguinot and Bea De Leon also added 14 and 13 points, respectively. On the other side, Galang spearheaded DLSU with 20 points, while Baron, Cyd Demecillo, and Kim Dy scored 15, 12, and 11 points, respectively.

The first frame saw the Lady Eagles trailing behind DLSU, who eventually won the set at 25-21. It was almost the same story in the second frame as La Salle was leading for most of the set. However, Ateneo made a late rally to put the scores at 23-21, giving them the advantage. Errors incurred by the Lady Spikers gave Ateneo the set, 25-22. Riding on the momentum gained from set two, ADMU proceeded to pounce on La Salle to win the third set at 25-16. With the match on the line, the Lady Spikers stuck close to Ateneo throughout the fourth frame. At 20-all, DLSU made a 5-1 run to claim the set, 25-21. In the last set, ADMU immediately gained an early lead, 10-2, which they kept till the end of the set.

After their recent straight-set victory against the FEU Lady Tamaraws, the Lady Spikers are looking to carry over the momentum to the finals in order to claim that elusive championship title. On the other hand, the Lady Eagles, who had a week of preparation, will aim to defend their crown from their archrivals. With these goals in their minds, expect both teams to give it their all in what will once again be a thrilling finals series.