Ateneo Lady Eagles take down UE in straight sets

Ateneo Lady Eagles take down UE in straight sets

In search of a killer instinct

by rick olivares pics by arvin lim

December 5, 2012

San Juan Arena

Roger Gorayeb was very unhappy with the Ateneo Lady Eagles opening match of the UAAP volleyball tournament, a five-setter where the blue and whites gave up a two-sets-to-none lead to FEU before rediscovering their groove in the fifth set.

For a team touted to compete for the women’s volleyball title, he was displeased that the team failed to flash its killer’s instinct in allow the Lady Tamaraws to get back in the game when they had them on the ropes.

In their next practice, he put them through a tough and laborious practice that left the girls hurting. Gorayeb wanted to send that the fun and games of the pre-season were over. The coach was still smarting from their quarterfinals ouster in the recent University Games at the hands of Adamson after going undefeated in the group stage.

The Lady Eagles’ second assignment was against the UE Lady Warriors who lost a five-setter of their own to UP during the opening weekend. Gorayeb told his team that the must hold UE to not more than 15 points per set or else they’ll go through another killer practice.

In their very first set against UE, with the score at 23-15, a mishit saw the Lady Warriors take point number 16. Gorayeb shook his head and sucked in some air. Ateneo responded with a Dzi Gervacio kill and a Gretchen Ho block on Leuseht Dawis that won them the set.

In the second set, an unconventional six that featured Amy Ahomiro and Mae Tajima. A spate of Ahomiro errors gave UE a 6-3 lead before the Lady Eagles responded with a crippling eight-point run to make it 11-6. Fille Cainglet followed that with six points off a blocks, spikes, and off-speed dinks to propel Ateneo to a 25-13 second set win.

The Lady Eagles did what they had to do – take the second set. Now they had to put UE away in the third set.

The Recto-based volleybelles scored the first point of the third. That would be their only taste of the lead as Ateneo rookie Marge Tejada equalized on the next serve. A spate of unforced errors further put UE in a 3-6 hole as Ateneo refused to allow their harried foes into the game.

Gorayeb shuffled his players around in the third set with six of them scoring points in a show of bench depth as they took the third set, 25-13. Over all, 10 of the 12 players (minus liberos Denden Lazaro and Bea Tan and setters Jem Ferrer and Gizelle Tan) scored with Cainglet scoring 13 while Alyssa Valdez scattered 10 points across the three sets.

The Lady Eagles’ coach looked a lot happier than he was after last Saturday. He was able to put in all his players and many, including rookies Tejada and Jirah Llaneta, contributed to the win. “Crucial to kasi magandang pasakalye to bago makalaban ang UST (this Sunday).”

After the game, a few of his players, wondered if Gorayeb would push through with his promise of a killer practice if they allowed UE more than 15 points. The coach simply smiled.