Since the start of the UAAP Season 77 Women’s volleyball tournament, the Ateneo Lady Eagles have never lost a game. In fact, they already have back-to-back UAAP championships to account for. As of press time, Ateneo has won its 21st straight game (16 UAAP game and 5 V-League games) after defeating the TIP Lady Engineers in straight sets in the ongoing Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Collegiate Conference.
Delving deeper, Ateneo’s rampaging winning streak also showed their commitment to making their good players better. Many role players like Jho Maraguinot, Bea De Leon, and Jia Morado have now made their mark in the volleyball landscape. Partnered with the skyrocketing play of Ateneo superstar Alyssa Valdez, the Lady Eagles constantly ascended their level of play to new heights with each passing game.
However, Valdez noted that the team doesn’t think about the winning streak that much since they’ve always put a premium in developing the team to its maximum potential.
“Kay Coach Tai [Bundit] kasi, it doesn’t sink in [that much] when there is a win,” Valdez said when asked about her thoughts on Ateneo’s 21-game winning streak. “We also have to train hard and after training and during a game we have to see something that we have to work on.”
In addition, Valdez remarked that the satisfaction of winning is merely a bonus for the team since it just shows that they did all the right things in preparing for any team they have faced. She also noted that their participation in the current V-League season is merely their way of getting the team to get its act together since tougher teams await them in the upcoming UAAP Volleyball wars.
“Siguro it’s more of a bonus for us when we win. Ang tinitingnan ni coach kung nagwowork ang trainings niya, and if we gel as a team. Iyon ang goal namin this Shakey’s V-League,” she added. “Sana magwork kami as a team at sana mag-gel pa kami kasi it’s really a competitive volleyball league this coming UAAP. Ang dami nang exposure ng volleyball and every team will get that exposure and it will help them to become more competitive.”
