At 24-19 in the fourth set, Fill Cainglet served for match point. Except for the third set, the Ateneo Lady Eagles' blocking and defense has been superb. It was their turn to put the clamps on the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Previously, Ateneo tried to stop only Angela Benting and although successful, the other Lady Falcons scored. Pau Soriano, on her way to a team-high 20 points attempts to hammer one down to keep her team alive.
Dzi Gervacio and Bea Pascual block Soriano's attempt. But Adamson prevents the ball from dropping for a score.
Soriano keeps the ball alive.
Free ball for Ateneo. Jem Ferrer sets up the play. Kara Acevedo and Fille Cainglet move behind the front line in case the ball gets blocked at the net.
Jem tosses the ball to the open spiker. Bea jumps for the fake but no Lady Falcon is falling for that. They know it's going to Gervacio.
Dzi rises as Luisa Zapanta and Soriano prepare to block the shot.
The defense is fooled as Gervacio sends it instead to the left hoping the ball stays in.
Lourdes Patilano is the last line of defense for Adamson but she watches the ball stay in for match point.
Ateneo wins. With a 10-4 record, their best ever showing in a Women's UAAP Volleyball Tournament, they clinch third seed in the Final Four with a win. Kara Acevedo, this year's captain who is in the midst of an up-and-down season, is ecstatic. The TV panel names her the game's best player.
Bea Pascual raises her arms in triumph. She has played her final regular season game. She has at least one more UAAP game in her.
The six on the floor converge in the middle.
Steph Gabriel, who at first wasn't keen on playing out her final year has been a revelation. She was the Best Digger in the recently concluded V-League. At the end of the elimination round of the UAAP tournament, she is the third best behind Adamson's Lizlee Gata and NU's Jen Reyes.
So she does a pirouette.
And their teammates waiting in the back run onto the court.
And they face their crowd to sing the alma mater.
No comments:
Post a Comment