Ateneo Lady Eagles win third straight with sweep of UE

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED)- The Ateneo Lady Eagles locked in their third straight victory as they handled the University of the East Lady Warriors in straight sets, 25-14, 25-21, 25-21 on Wednesday, February 22 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan. 

The Lady Eagles only started to pull away at the 14th point of the opening set, capitalizing on the Lady Warriors’ faulty reception while also outscoring them 10-4 in attacks. 

The Lady Warriors kept it close in the second as their net defense, manifested in 6 excellent blocks, provided them with a 19-17 lead after the second technical timeout. Coach Francis Vicente’s squad, however, failed to close out the set as unforced errors continued to hound the Lady Warriors in clutch time. 

“Kapag tiningnan mo ‘yung UE, kapag hindi ka naglaro nang maganda, talagang lalaban [sila] kasi malaki sila eh,” said Ateneo assistant coach Sherwin Meneses. “Nag-improve talaga sila this year.” 

(If you take a look at UE, if you don’t play at a high level, they will really put up a good fight because they’re tall. They really improved this year.) 

Michelle Morente had a game-high 13 points for the Lady Eagles, while Bea de Leon and Maddie Madayag contributed 11 and 9 respectively. 

Meanwhile, team captain Shaya Adorador and Mary Anne Mendrez both put up double digit performances for the Lady Warriors with 11 markers apiece. 

With the win, the Katipunan squad now grab a hold of the second spot with a 4-1 record, while the Lady Warriors drop to 0-5. 

The Lady Eagles will next face the league-leading UP Lady Maroons on Sunday, February 26. 

Scores:

ADMU (3): Morente 13, De Leon 11, Madayag 9, Tolentino 8, Morado 6, Gequillana 3, Maraguinot 3, Gopico 2, Gaston 1 

UE (0): Adorador 11, Mendrez 11, Alcayde 5, Abil 3, Gabarda 2, Sta. Maria 2, Baliton 1, Bendong 1, Rodriguez 1. – Rappler.com