ALYSSA VALDEZ is not a three-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) for nothing.
Before a live crowd of 20,541 and millions more on television, Valdez powered Ateneo past De La Salle in a thrilling five-setter, 18-25, 26-28, 25-17, 25-16, 15-11, at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, sending the Season 78 University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball championship series to a no-tomorrow Game Three.
“It’s not yet over, let’s see each other on Saturday,” said an emotional Valdez in the postgame press conference. “We’re just really happy, but it’s not always about winning—after winning, there’s a big responsibility for us to come back on Saturday.”
Valdez and the Lady Eagles were almost given up for lost and the Lady Spikers were on the verge of celebrating the title that Ateneo denied them in the last two seasons, when De La Salle, behind Ara Galang, Mika Reyes and Kim Fajardo, jumped to what looked like an insurmountable 2-0 set lead.
But the two-time defending champions regrouped, flashed the form that made them favorites to repeat and clawed their way back in the next three sets, with Valdez playing the lead role and Joana Maraguinot, Amy Ahomiro and Bea de Leon providing the much-needed support.
And after the two-hour and eight-minute battle, Valdez came out the biggest performer—scoring a season-high 34 hits she highlighted with 32 attacks.
The knockout Game Three is set 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We have to remember all the things that we did right and analyze all the things we did wrong and fix them in practice,” said Valdez, also the season’s Best Scorer and Best Server. “Aside from preparing physically, we really have to prepare mentally because it’s the last game of the finals. Mind over matter.”
Maraguinot and de Leon chipped in 15 and 12 points, respectively, for Ateneo, which had its back against the wall when it lost Game One, 22-25, 22-25, 21-25. Setter Jia Morado paced the Lady Eagles with 70 excellent sets
Kim Dy had 16 points for De La Salle. Reyes delivered 14 markers and Galang was again stellar on offense and defense with 12 hits and 19 digs. Cyd Demecillo added 10 hits.
Best Setter Fajardo had 61 excellent sets and Best Digger and Best Receiver Dawn Macandili had 21 digs and 16 excellent receptions for De La Salle.
Image credits: Nonie Reyes