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MANILA, Philippines – There will be no let-up for the Ateneo de Manila University in Game 2 of the UAAP Season 77 Finals as team manager Tony Boy Liao wants the defending champions to go for a sweep and wrap up a perfect season in the tournament.
The Lady Eagles have won 15 consecutive games in Season 77 – a record for the women’s volleyball tournament – and a victory over rivals De La Salle University on Saturday will give them a 16-0 record for the season.
They stamped their class over the Lady Spikers in Game 1, racking up a quick 25-18, 25-19, and 25-19 victory to come to within one game of a second straight crown.
“Right now that we have one game to go, I think we’re gonna go for it,” Liao told reporters after the game. “Andiyan na eh, and gusto ng mga bata.”
“You saw them play, they played today, talagang they were for it. They didn’t relax, not like in the past games na after winning two sets, they would relax,” he added.
“It happened in the third set – they were ahead by four points, and then they relaxed, tumabla. (But) natapos ng 3-0.”
“I think they’re gonna go for it.”
Liao said the team only needs to take heart from head coach Tai Bundit’s philosophy in order to make the sweep happen.
“Ang laging sinasabi ni Coach Tai, if you believe that they can do it, they will do it. ‘Yan ang kanyang philosophy,” he explained.
“So kung sila Alyssa (Valdez) and ‘yung teammates niya, maniwalang kaya nila, sa tingin ko, kaya nilang tapusin ‘yan sa Sabado.”
Team captain Alyssa Valdez, who torched La Salle for 25 points in Game 1, refused to guarantee a win, however.
“Hindi naman namin masasabi,” she said. “We’re gonna play our hearts (out) on Saturday.”
“We never know what’s gonna happen. It’s up to (God) naman, so ayun, we’ll never know. Let’s find out on Saturday,” she added.
The last team to notch a perfect season in women’s volleyball was La Salle in 2004, when they finished the elimination round with a 14-0 record and were automatically crowned champions.
The Lady Spikers had a chance to go for a 16-0 sweep in Season 74, when they swept the eliminations to enter the Finals with a thrice-to-beat advantage. But Ateneo defeated them in the first game of the Finals in what was their lone defeat of the campaign. La Salle won the next two games to take the title.
Photo: Mark Cristino/ABS-CBNNews.com
This story was republished with permission from ABS-CBNNews.com.
