Looking at UE’s 4-set win over Adamson

Looking at UE’s 4-set win over Adamson

by rick olivares

The match between Adamson Lady Falcons and the University of the East Lady Red Warriors was for the most thrilling yet totally entertaining.

The penultimate match of the first round saw both sides battling doubly hard for their first win of the season that ended in a four-set win by UE (25-22,20-25, 25-17, 25-18).

What made it thrilling was both teams needed the win to stay out of the cellar although Adamson has been lodged there by virtue of not having won a single set. That is until yesterday. Unfortunately for them, after taking the second set, the intensity and focus somewhat eased off and the result was somewhat a return to form as they struggled in the last two sets.

How bad did both sides want to win?

Check the blocks and the digs.

Both teams registered the most excellent digs of the season thus far. Adamson had 75 blocks to the 62 of UE. Not the highest total but pretty good for both teams.

As for digs, Adamson had 102 to UE’s 97. That eclipsed the first round mark of the previous day’s Ateneo-La Salle match that saw the Lady Eagles earn 79 excellent digs to the 68 of La Salle.

Here are a few of the other highest digs totals of the first round (and incidentally, all are four-setters):

97-102 UE-Adamson

68-79 DLSU-Ateneo

69-74 FEU-UST

68-61 Ateneo-FEU

66-62 UP-UST

That’s how competitive and huge the matches and their outcomes were – for the top position at the table and to avoid the bottom.

We saw UE play that scrambling way during their opening day fixture against National University where they took the very first set of the season. They played great again for the next two sets before succumbing. Their next few matches saw them revert to their old form although they did put up a little stiffer battle against UST, FEU, and Ateneo.

As for Adamson, this was their best match so far and yet the question that should be posed is, why can’t they play this way (at least for the first two sets of this particular one) the rest of the way? They could have done better for themselves but setter Chumcee Caole had some spotty playmaking in the later sets that hurt her side.

What do both teams need to do in this second round if they want to improve their positions in the table?

It’s basically improving in every department.

UE we have already noted has improved in the defensive categories. While the truism of defense wins championships works in volleyball, there is nothing like a dynamic offense. Hence, the counter saying of the best defense is a good offense. After all the serve is the first weapon you bring to bear in a game. And UE has been wanting in that as well as setting and spiking.

Adamson head coach Airess Padda oft would ask and question her team’s heart and commitment. Although the match versus UE ended in a loss, they must build on that. If they show the same type of commitment they did in the first two and a half sets, who knows who they can trip up?