SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines — Pushed to the wall by a bunch of hungry Tigresses, Ateneo de Manila University found a hero in Alyssa Valdez to keep their back-to-back hopes alive.
Valdez fired a season-best 31 points to spearhead the Lady Eagles’ inspiring 25-17, 22-25, 25-21, 28-26 win over University of Santo Tomas that forced a winner-take-all Game 3 in their 9th Shakey’s V-League finals series Tuesday night, June 5 at the jampacked FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
The five-foot-eight spiker had her best game of the tournament, delivering 22 hits, one block while serving up a whopping eight aces to shine bright in a battle of two teams refusing to give an inch in what has become an epic championship series.
Likewise, Ateneo’s Thai reinforcement Kesinee Lithawat turned in another solid performance with 15 points while Fille Cainglet contributed 12 markers, 11 of them off attacks.
“We lived to fight another day,” coach Roger Gorayeb said after the game. “Wala e, gusto rin naming manalo. Championship na to. Hindi to basta bastang laro (We also wanted to win. This is the championship. It isn’t just any other game).”
That “another day” Gorayeb was talking about will be on Sunday, 4pm, when the defending champions and the six-time queens slug it out for the last time.
Toe-to-toe
The match saw both the Tigresses and the Lady Eagles fighting toe-to-toe from the get-go but Ateneo stole the first set behind brilliant serving by Valdez.
Down 15-16 after the second technical timeout, Valdez, a former UST High School star, ignited a 10-1 closing run behind several aces that allowed the Katipunan-based squad to book the first, 25-17.
The Tigresses bounced back in the second set behind inspired play from Judy Caballejo and Maru Banaticla and tied the match with a 25-22 win.
However, Ateneo raced to an 8-2 lead in the third frame as Valdez heated up once more and was aided by UST errors.
But the Espana-based squad stormed back with an 18-7 blast to erect a 20-15 advantage, an eternity considering the stakes.
The Tigresses looked poised to take a 2-1 set lead but imploded, committing six errors as the Lady Eagles went on a stirring 10-1 run sparked by a Valdez hit and punctuated by a Cainglet attack that went through the block.
Both squads went all out in a cardiac fourth set with no team gaining a clear edge.
UST climbed to set point at 24-23 after a Valdez error but Valdez and Kesinee scored for Ateneo to take a 25-24 advantage.
Caballejo and Valdez traded hits before Banaticla drilled in another attack to tie the match once more at 26-all.
However, the Tigresses’ veteran setter Rhea Dimaculang committed an uncharacteristic service error to send the Lady Eagles at match point then Ateneo reserve Ella de Jesus sealed the deal with a kill that went off the block, 28-26.
“Not everyone gave their 100%,” a dejected coach Odjie Mamon said. “Yung mental toughness, kailangan pa talagang ayusin.”
UST’s Thai import Utaiwan Kaensing top scored with 16 points off 13 kills, two aces and a block while Maika Ortiz and Caballejo chipped in with 15 points each. Banaticla had 12. – Rappler.com
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