At first glance, the partnership between Motolite and the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles seemed at bit surprising, but the two share an unwavering zeal for excellence.
Motolite has been the market leader in automotive, motorcycle, and industrial batteries in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Australia. Ateneo, meanwhile, have been one of the most dominant collegiate teams in the Philippines, reaching the UAAP Finals in six of the last seven years.
The Motolite-Ateneo Lady Eagles immediately made their mark on the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference. Motolite defeated almost every squad in the league en route to a 10-4 elimination round record and a spot in the semifinals.
In their semifinal match-up against the BanKo Perlas Spikers – the only squad they had yet to beat – Motolite-Ateneo showed what it truly took to achieve success.
Winning in volleyball requires two values that Motolite is all too familiar with: Pangmatagalan and Maaasahan.
After dropping Game One of the semis in five, grueling sets, Motolite-Ateneo came back with a fury in Game Two. They then forced a winner-take-all showdown.
Game Three wound up becoming one of the best matches in PVL league history, largely due to the tremendous will that Motolite-Ateneo showed. The Lady Eagles roared back from a fourth set deficit and dragged the match into a classic fifth set. When BanKo tried to retaliate, Motolite’s veterans Maddie Madayag, Bea De Leon, and Kat Tolentino delivered the big points in the final stretch.
The trio’s heroics sent Motolite-Ateneo to the Finals.
“We wanted it and we just never lost trust in each other. We’ve been playing together for such a long time, and we knew what we could do in those types of situations.” said De Leon of the classic finish.
That Motolite-Ateneo made it to the 2018 PVL Open championship series comes as no surprise to Motolite top management.
“As we expected, the Motolite-Ateneo women’s volleyball team performed remarkably in this tournament. The team embodied the Pangmatagalan and Maaasahan values of the Motolite brand.
“They endured serious challenges from the more seasoned professional clubs in the league all throughout the tourney, and established themselves as an elite squad.” said Mr. Ricky Chan, Motolite VP, commenting on the team’s successful maiden stint.
While Motolite-Ateneo wound up with silver to end the tournament, the squad’s horizon beams gold.
