Lady Spikers versus Lady Eagles: Rivals meet again

How will the Lady Spikers  fare against their archnemeses, the Ateneo Lady Eagles? Find out in this Sunday’s match, 4 pm at the Mall of Asia Arena.

For the past three years, the DLSU Lady Spikers have reigned as the queens of collegiate volleyball, but alongside their dominance exists the famed La Salle-Ateneo rivalry, a staple in Philippine collegiate sports which is not just limited to basketball.

The championship duels of the past two seasons saw these two rivals clash for the UAAP crown and with La Salle denying Ateneo’s championship bid twice in a row, the ADMU Lady Eagles are perhaps the hungriest team in the league this season as they look to finally come out on top.

Key changes

With Michele Gumabao’s departure from La Salle, rookie Desiree Cheng has been tasked to fill the void left by the former UAAP Finals MVP. Cheng has been steller as adjustments made by the coaching staff have helped the team capitalize on her strengths, and she fit seamlessly into the squad.

Neither did the graduation of Melissa Gohing leave a blank spot on the floor for the Lady Spikers. With Cienne Cruz now taking most of the minutes as the team’s libero, the Lady Spikers have not missed a beat. These two players have stepped up, and the Lady Spikers have not missed a beat.

Meanwhile for the Ateneans, the exit of Lady Eagle stars Gretchen Ho, Fille Cainglet, and Dzi Gervacio signaled the need for adjustments within the team. A coaching change also met the Lady Eagles since, as last year’s head coach Roger Gorayeb returned to coach the SSC-R Women’s Volleyball Team in the NCAA. Thai coach Annsom Bundit now handles the head coaching duties for Ateneo.

The leadership role was passed on to Alyssa Valdez after the graduation of Ateneo’s well-known “Fab Five”, composed of Cainglet, Ho, Gervacio, Jem Ferrer and A Nacachi. As the newly appointed team captain, Valdez has been tasked to lead her team towards greater heights this season; however, the load seemed to have lightened with constant contributions coming from emerging players such as Ella De Jesus, Amy Ahomiro as well as sophomore player Marge Tejada.

But for La Salle’s head coach Ramil de Jesus, playing against Ateneo without their “Fab Five” this time around makes no difference. He did not even take this as an advantage for the Lady Spikers. “Tawag lang naman ‘yun eh. Yung Ateneo sa ngayon, maganda yung ginagalaw considering marami ding bago so hindi mo pwedeng balewalain. Lahat naman ng teams dapat paghandaan so isa ‘yun sa mga dapat [naming] paghandaan,” he explains.

On the other hand, the Lady Spikers remain a force to reckon with as the presence of key players, such as UAAP 75 co-MVPs Ara Galang and Abi Marano and Mika Reyes, have allowed the team to remain dominant. Former bench player Cyd Demecillo also emerged as a reliable player for the Taft-based spikers as a new member of the starting lineup.

The new chapter

The Lady Spikers have continued their dominance early in UAAP 76 as they remain the lone undefeated team in the standings with a 5-0 win-loss record. They have not lost a set since the season began, winning all of their games in straight sets. Their recent straight set victory against the FEU Lady Tamaraws also extended their UAAP winning streak to 21, a streak which began after their opening day loss to the UST Tigresses last season.

Meanwhile, Ateneo has won five straight games after their defeat against the NU Lady Bulldogs in their opening match, with their latest victory over the UST Tigresses coming in a five set thriller. Valdez fired up the Lady Eagles and tallied 28 points, with 25 coming from attacks.

The match between the archrivals on Sunday is a must win for both teams as the result will significantly affect their fate in the team standings. If the Lady Spikers win, they will remain undefeated and will be just one game away from sweeping the first round of the eliminations. For the Lady Eagles, a win will allow them to strengthen their bid towards a successful first round finish and they can tie the Lady Spikers in the loss column.

With striking changes in the team roster and in the coaching staff, will the Lady Eagles soar higher this time around? Or will head coach Ramil De Jesus’ Lady Spikers dominate and tame their rivals once more?

On Sunday, January 12, 2014, at 4 pm in the Mall of Asia Arena, these two rivals will face each other for the first time this season and on that afternoon, in a classic Ateneo-La Salle atmosphere, we will find out which team is “greater” in UAAP Season 76.