Ateneo Lady Eagles deal struggling UP Lady Maroons 4th straight loss

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Ateneo Lady Eagles remain the top seed in the tournament after sweeping UP, 25-15, 25-14, 25-15 in the second Battle of Katipunan on Saturday, March 11 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. 

The Lady Maroons suffered early on from unforced errors, listing 10 in the opening set to give their neighbors a head start in the match. 

Ateneo meanwhile continued to dominate offensively in the second as they outscored their foes 16-9 in the spikes department for a commanding two-set lead. 

“Siguro maganda lang laro ng players ng Ateneo ngayon,” said assistant coach Sherwin Meneses after the game. “Team effort talaga ang nangyari.

“Mataas ang confidence ng mga bata [with 7-1 record]. Pero kapag si Coach Tai, walang 7-1. Walang standing kapag maglaro ang mga bata.” 

(We just played well today. It was a complete team effort. The girls have more confidence now, but for Coach Tai, there’s no 7-1 [record]. The girls don’t think about standings when they play.) 

Jho Maraguinot put up a game-high 17 points from 15 spikes and 2 aces. Kat Tolentino added 10, while Michelle Morente and Bea de Leon had 9 apiece for the Lady Eagles, who dominated in attacks with 44 excellent spikes compared to UP’s 24. 

Team captain Jia Morado meanwhile landed the Player of the Game honors with 5 points and 2 aces to go with 38 excellent sets. 

Isa Molde anchored UP with 8 markers from 6 attacks and 2 aces, while Tots Carlos had 7. 

With the win, the Lady Eagles continue to sit at the top of the standings with a 7-1 slate, while the Lady Maroons further drop to 4-4. 

The Lady Eagles will next face the UST Tigresses on Wednesday, March 15.

Scores:

ADMU (3): Maraguinot 17, Tolentino 10, Morente 9, De Leon 9, Morado 5, Gopico 4

UP (0): Molde 8, Carlos 7, Tiamzon 4, Gannaban 4, Buitre 4, Bersola 2, Layug 1 

– Rappler.com