MANILA, Philippines – The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. That line, made famous as the intro to ABC’s “Wide World of Sports” a half century ago, summarizes the polar emotions that every winning and losing team feels, particularly when a championship is on the line.
The Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles and the De La Salle University Lady Spikers each experienced those emotions to the greatest extent that could be felt in an athletic competition at Game 4 of the UAAP women’s volleyball finals on Saturday, March 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
(FULL STORY: Ateneo upsets De La Salle, wins first UAAP volleyball crown)
Ateneo, the third seed team, overcame the odds to defeat the highly-favored La Salle, who entered the tournament having swept the elimination round to earn a thrice-to-beat advantage. Showing the “Heart Strong” spirit that had become their motto, Ateneo battled fiercely, sweeping all three sets 25-23, 26-24, 25-21 to end La Salle’s three consecutive UAAP titles streak and winning the school’s first title in the process.
Relive the magic of the fierce battle that was in these photos captured by Rappler’s Josh Albelda.
– Rappler.com with reports from Ryan Songalia
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