REIGNING champion Ateneo heeded coach Oliver Almadro’s urgings to do things right last Tuesday night and lived for another day.
“We know UST will be tough. Nakita ninyo kami ang naghahabol, we just finished it strong and right,” Almadro said. “We just relied on our fundamentals and doing it right,” he added after Ateneo, ranked No. 4, hacked out a 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 victory over No. 3 University of Santo Tomas in their knockout stepladder semifinals duel in the 84th UAAP women’s volleyball tournament.
The gutsy win enabled the spikers from Katipunan to advance to the next stepladder round that just got tougher.
The Eagles battle No. 2 and twice-to-beat La Salle today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
The match pitting the archrivals is set at 6:30 p.m., with Ateneo out to forge a rubber match on Saturday at the same venue for a finals slot opposite unbeaten National University.
If the Lady Spikers capitalize on their win-once incentive, Game 1 of the best-of-3 title series will be on Saturday at the same venue.
The Lady Bulldogs completed a 14-0 elimination round sweep that allowed them to gain a historic maiden stint in the Big Dance in the Final Four era.
La Salle brought down the Eagles 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 when they first met last May 5 before following it up with a five-set squeaker 19-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-22, 15-12 in their second-round tiff nine days ago.
The Lady Spikers wound up with a 10-4 record in the elims but came off a stunning 25-23, 17-25, 25-16, 26-24 loss to Adamson University last Thursday.
Faith Nisperos unleashed 23 points on 17 attacks, four service aces, and two blocks on top of eight excellent receptions for Ateneo, while Vanie Gandler chipped in 15 markers.
Erika Raagas and AC Miner also had nine and seven points, respectively.
