Ateneo blew an eight-point lead in the third set but Blue Eagles showed their fighting spirit to come back and beat the Adamson Lady Falcons in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament on Wednesday, March 13.
Ateneo de Manila University avoided a possible meltdown, with the Blue Eagles taking a four-set win over Adamson University, 25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23, in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament on Wednesday, March 13.
After a dominant first and second set, the Blue Eagles squandered an eight-point lead in third set, giving the Lady Falcons an opportunity to further extend the match.
Luckily for Ateneo, the Katipunan-based squad managed to secure the victory in the fourth set powered by outside hitter Sobe Buena.
Buena finished the game with 22 points, built on 21 attacks and one service ace.
But more than her impressive performance, Buena was prouder of her 'fighting spirit' which helped Ateneo secure its second win in Season 86.
"For me, it was important na hindi mawala 'yung spirit of laban hanggang dulo. That third set loss was a bit disheartening pero ang inisip ko lang para matulungan 'yung team is to continue to fight, continue to play in coach's system, and to really trust each other and play as a team," Buena said during the post-game press conference.
Ateneo coach Sergio Veloso likewise emphasized of having a strong mind during hard moments—something that the Blue Eagles were able to prove in their win.
"You need to stay with a strong mind in the hard moments. Because in the hard moments, if you follow the system and you keep [following it] in the match, this is important because one good opportunity can be a big difference in the score," said Veloso.
"I’ll give an example. Now, the last point, Sobe (Buena) received two balls, three balls, and she didn’t stop. Once she receives, she hits, no matter, and she finished," he added.
The huge victory should serve as a confidence-builder for Ateneo as the Blue Eagles look to end the first round on a solid note when they go up against Far Eastern University on Sunday, March 17 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 2:00 p.m.