The Ateneo - UST game that I got to witness is probably a sneak preview of what could be the Finals match in the 2nd Conference of the Shakey’s V-League. The Lady Eagles outclassed the defending champs in 5 exciting sets: 22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-19, 16-6. Here’s what happened:
1st Set: UST showing why they are the champs
By the time I got inside The Arena, the crowd was already roaring as they cheer for their favorite teams. UST was leading, 5-8. As expected, Ateneo relied on the expertise of their Thai guest player Lithawat Kesinee. My first impression: well, she’s tall and kinda looks heavy but surprisingly very agile and consistent. (You’ve got to watch the Ateneo – San Sebastian College match to see who’s the stronger Thai player between Kesinee and last conference MVP Jaroensri Bualee. Who do you think is the better Thai?) Taking over Mic Laborte’s middle blocker position, Kesinee fits perfectly with the Ateneo squad because she plays with even more heart and soul as her teammates do. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she becomes one of the crowd favorites.
With the slightly injured Charo Soriano of Ateneo committing consecutive errors, the score is now 13-16. For the yellow squad, it was the tandem of Angeli Tabaquero and verteran Venus Bernal who delivered. At the 18 all mark, the head referee decided to issue a dead-ball call after a confusing joust at the net.
UST now leads at 18-20 due to their well executed plays and because of careless errors made by the Eagles. Guest player Suzanne Roces of UST makes a trademark running attack kill to push her team to 18-23. Coming from a time-out, Lady Eagle Kesinee puts on a show for the crowd as she becomes unstoppable momentarily. She makes 3 straight points off her running attacks to thrust her team to 22-24. But the next and last rally was won by an open attack kill by Bernal. UST captures the 1st set at 22-25.
2nd Set: Lady Eagles answers back
During the start of the second set, UST continues to pile points after points thanks to Bernal’s graceful and effective wing attacks. The Growling Tigers also started to rely on Mary Jean Balse, another UST veteran who is perhaps the most popular female volleyball player in the Philippines because she got fans everywhere!!! All throughout the game, Balse was able to effectively block Kesinee’s attacks at crucial moments. It is also evident however, that she is not receiving the ball well. Ateneo continues to make errors but slowly regains composure. They now trail only by 2 points, 7-9.
Ateneo seemed to have improved on their backline attack plays (thanks to their topnotch training camp in Thailand?) utilizing Patty Taganas and Kesinee for such plays. The score reaches 14-all after Tabaquero commits an error. From here, it became a see-saw battle – a clash between two teams trying to prove that they are superior than the other. The Blue Spikers take the lead at 20-17 with Kenisee serving and Soriano at the frontline doing most of the damage.
UST tries to rally back with Tabaquero doing most of the catching up for her team. I noticed she always smiles no matter what. (But this will soon change in the following sets). Ateneo wins the second set at 25-22.
3rd Set: Tigers gains the momentum
Mary Jean Balse comes alive in the third set. Still struggling from receiving the ball whenever Ateneo serves, she makes up for this by producing points when she’s at the net. After a thundering running spike that delighted the crowd, Balse brings the lead to her team at 4-5. I noticed she has this blue thing that looks like some sort of henna tattoo on her right leg. Don’t know what the hell that is but it looks cool.
At the 11-all mark, a long and electrifying rally takes place with both teams defending well. Kesinee wins this rally for Ateneo by dropping the ball from the middle. Sprinting all the way from the backline, Angeli Tabaquero gets to the ball just in time to bring it back in play. But she but she commits a crossing violation.
The head referee does it again - making a wrong call which he reverses in favor of UST. The yellow team eventually regains momentum to lead at 18-21. Then a middle attack from Suzanne Roces makes it 20-23.
At set point, Charo Soriano saves it for the Eagles as she converts from an open spike that goes inside two UST blockers. The score is now 21-24. UST momentarily collapses giving bonus points to Ateneo as Bernal’s soft spikes go straight to the net. At 23-24, it seems that the Blue Eagles are going to snatch the set away from the defending champions. But Venus Bernal never giving up relies on her experience and pounds the ball with confidence. UST wins the third set at 23-25.
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There are 34 comments to this entry
wow! i can’t wait to watch the replay… animo ateneo!!
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talagang pathetic pa rin ba tingin niyo sakanila? hahahahah
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@BLANK: Pathetic yung mga fans who think Ateneo is pathetic. Hehe.
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Why need a thai import?… lapsap….
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I think this is a game where Ateneo outplayed or played better against UST. Ateneo had the better defense in this game. Props to UST but ever since the 1st conference, floor defense is their problem.
Marcvill: Well, a lot here said Ateneo is pathetic. This game might just silence some of those sourgrapers or haters of Ateneo. Kahit naman sa basketball, galit na galit ang mga yan sa Ateneo. Haha.
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napanood ko ang delayed telecast ng NBN. was excited as ever with usual expectation from UST’s side but i was also expecting for a stronger and better admu knowing that they’ve undergone weeks of training in thailand. [ilang weeks lang yon pero obvious ang improvement. attributed ba sa galing ng pinoy? fast learners (most)?]
i’m frustrated a bit. i expected for more and longer rallies. pero halos patay agad ang bola. konti lang ang matatagal na rallies. parang nasira ang composure ng UST. was it pressure? excitement? nakalog ba sila sa idea na nag-train ang nakalaban nila? whatever.
i am really looking forward to ADMU-SSC battle. yeah right… question about “who’s the better import, Bualee or Kesinee?”
sa tingin ko, mas versatile si bualee when it comes to attacks. halos alam lahat ng klase ng atake. running, quick, open, middle, back… kahit saan mo bigyan, pumapalo si bualee. at malakas. nagkaka-fatigue nga lang kasi siya talaga ang gumagawa para sa san sebastian. in fairness to her teammates na binibigyan din naman ng pagkakataon like devanadera, latigay and pulido at ok naman performance nila, at magagaling din naman sila. pero mas malaki ang part ni bualee sa SSC, sa v-league.
kesinee… mas magaling sa blocking and reception compared to bualee. also more strategic, i mean ok timing niya sa mga off-speed hits and drop balls[is this the right term?]..
pareho silang malakas. mas matangkad ba si kesinee? that’s her advantage.
it will really be an exciting match to watch: ADMU vs SSC-R.
ngayon pa lang, masasabi ko that top three contenders are ADMU, SSC and UST in alphabetical order para fair and safe.
have no favorite team, just favorite players. hindi ko rin naman sineseryoso competition ng mga universities na yan. i’m not enrolled in any of those institutions. kahit pa dun ako nag-aaral, i wouldn’t mind. i just love the sports. for sports’ sake.
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ba’t nila sineseryoso ang pathetic issue?
siguro naman mas importante ang pag-imrove ng mga players… kung patuloy na ganyan, di maka-appreciate sa progress ng iba, e walang mangyayaring maganda sa pilipinas. sa sports pa nga lang e nagbabangayan na, paano na lang sa mas critical na mga issue? isn’t it in sports where everyone’s united? ano ba yan. itigil niyo na ang girian. nasa capital pa naman kayo tapos ganyan ugali nyo. yan ang pathetic.
why complain about the thai imports? alright, magagaling talaga and team ng UST. siyempre, national players mga yon. pero, against isang thai import pa nga lang plus locals with thai training talo na, pano na lang kung whole team of thai national players na ang babanggain nila? dapat ba silang mahiya o ma-challenge?
ewan…
itigil nyo na lang bangayan nyo.
pero ganun lang talaga siguro yon. dualistic world. dialectic process. ok lang asaran, wag lang seryosohin.
peace po…..(”,
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mas matangkad pala si bualee ayon dun sa v-league.ph. but it looks like kesinee’s taller than bualee. relative to their teammates, mas matangkad si kesinee. hehehe…
pero mas magaling pa rin blocking and reception niya compared to bualee’s. anyway, first game pa lang naman nakita ko. baka nag-improve na rin defense ni bualee. dati kasi kay bualee binibigay ni kanchana ang spikes niya. alam kasi ni kanchana na medyo mahina si bualee sa recption. magkakilala na kasi. hahaha… familiarity breeds contempt.(”,
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I LOVE YOU DENISE PATRICIA TAN!
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wAaaaa… i reallY lOve Suzane ROSes., chruSh q Tlga xa,. khit d xa nag sta2ndout sa USte, ok lNg,.bsta gling niA,. namangha din aq kay semana,. khit maliit,wlang naka2pigil sa galing nia,. i Love vOlleyball….
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……..go ust tigresses galingan nyo magchecheer aq sa inyo……….
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ate angeli ate denise ate zanne galingan nyo ha ……hehehehehehhehehe
:glee:
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ate angee ate dee just do your best sa court and give your killer smile….heheheheh:)
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GO UST!!!! PRO PINOY!!!!!
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go uste susuportahan q kau lalo ka na ate angeli and ate denise……..:)
go go go go go go
ust
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hey dont give up uste kayang-kaya nyo yang mga yan hehehehehehe……:D
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kahit dito sa Vietnam,balita and pagiging pathetic ng Ateneo..wag kayo magalala kasi pathetic din dito ang isang Vietnamese club team kasi inimport nila si Sirintha Srisuma…yung junior team sa thailand.Atleast MAgkalahi sila!
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go ateneo!!!!..do you still have pictures of them?
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USTe go! go! go! angeli tabaquero spike it hard!!!! hehehe……… GOODLUCK UST!
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tsamba lang yang panalong yan… hahahaha…
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naging guest palyer ba ng ust si hyapha amporn of thailand?
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kunin sna si pleumjit thinkaow ng ust this is my # 09185092083
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hey!!!!ang galing talga ni mary jean balse ng ust….ur da best!!!!!!!!
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this tym… alam nyo n lahat y ust s d team to beat… khit nkaisa ang ateneo stil nprove p rin ng ust dat they are d best… go ust… astig kc n tabaquero…kaya fan nila aq… lagi nkasmile… cute new hairdo mu gurl!!!
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the best talaga kayo ust im youre number fun here at olongapo city.lahat ng laro nio inaabangan ko.ang galing mo setter denice tan ang also the best ka venus vernal and susane roces..at syempre c mj balse and a tabaquero.gudluck sa ust sana kayo ang magchampion ulit this season.
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magaling talaga c daquis.. ASTIG! sa ateneo, magaling sina kesini at soriano. sa ust, magaling sina bernal at balse. si roces ok lang kaso walang variation kaya madaling i-block… magaling din ung libero ng adamson…(hehe..observations lang naman…)
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ang cute nyio tabaquero and tan
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kayo ang dapat na magchampion… i olweiz watch ur game.. galing ni raging balse and bernal..
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chamba lang yung panalo nila ………..coz mas magaling parin ang ust.gogogo ust.harharhar….
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good luck to all ust members specially sa mga gwapa…………..!!!!!!!!1 chaka!!!!!!!11
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D’best tlg ust sQuad kc kht pure pin0y clang lht ngchamp pRn cla..Dpt p2nyan dn ng iba n kht alang im4t thy cn stll win the tittle,teamw0rk nMn kelangan eh,hnd ung ngre2lie k lng s imp0rt m0h,hnd nMn xa c superw0man!Wahahaha, wui mga uste fans invyt nyo po q.Hir’s my email add. joyce_fhaston@y.c.. Thnk u all uhmuah!I’l slip nah coz im vry slipy n tlg..Wahaha
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hi ate msta na….glng nio ha…idol ko tlga kau…lpt na uaap…dpt glngan nio….add nio ako…aril_enitsirk@yahoo.com
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ang galing ng ust…..go ust…….
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