With their streak in jeopardy, the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles mustered a clutch streak in the fourth set and eked out a five-set win against the revitalized Adamson University Lady Falcons, 24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 24-26, 15-12, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Lady Falcons nearly collapsed late in the first set. Breaking away from a 19-all tie and taking a 24-21 lead, Ateneo mustered a 3-0 burst led by Bea De Leon’s serving. Jema Galanza and Mylene Paat saved the Lady Falcons in the deuce, conspiring for Adamson’s last two points.
Ateneo retaliated in the second set. Pulling points from Maddie Madayag’s serve, the Lady Eagles went on a 6-0 run to take an 18-12 lead and never looked back. The Lady Falcons countered, going on an 18-8 start in the third set. The Lady Eagles got to within two, 23-21, but Galanza powered a hit in, before Fhen Emnas served an ace to allow the Lady Falcons to escape
Adamson grabbed the inside track in the fourth frame, taking a 12-6 lead after a 4-0 run. Ateneo refused to go away, coming within two, 15-17, thanks to quick transition plays. Working off their block, the Lady Falcons built a 22-16 cushion. But the Lady Eagles had another comeback in hand, taking advantage of Adamson’s errors and eventually forcing a deuce. The Lady Eagles then extended the match, grabbing back-to-back blocks on Jema Galanza.
The Lady Eagles took advantage in the decider, sprinting ahead, 10-5, with the Lady Falcons struggling too build offense. The Lady Falcons eventually forced an 11-all tie, but the Lady Eagles buckled down on defense and took four of the next five points to close the match.
“We just focused on playing happy again. Coach Tai always tells us na we never play well if we don’t play happy. We just got back to enjoying the game and blocked everything else out,” pointed out Ateneo team captain Maddie Madayag.
Jhoana Maraguinot tallied a career-high 23 points, while setter Deanna Wong also tossed a career-best 63 excellent sets.
Jema Galanza managed 23 markers to lead the Lady Falcons while Mylene Paat managed 17.
The Lady Eagles elevated their record to 8-3, guaranteeing them at least a playoff for a Final Four spot. They take on the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses (4-7) on April 4 at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
Adamson drop to fifth with a 5-6 card. They face the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws (7-4) on April 7 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores
ADMU (3) – Maraguinot 23, Tolentino 17, Samonte 12, De Leon 11, Madayag 6, Wong 6, Gaston (L), Lo (L)
AdU (2) – Galanza 23, Paat 17, Soyud 11, Dacoron 10, Emnas 8, Perez 3, Flora 2, Uy 0, Tempiatura (L), Ponce (L)
