The Ateneo Lady Eagles moved closer towards a shot at defending their title as they outgunned the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses in four sets, 20-25, 25-15, 29-27, 25-14, in the Shakey’s V-League yesterday at the packed Philsports Arena in Pasig City yesterday.
The Lady Eagles got significant contributions from former San Sebastian import Jeng Bualee, who tallied 19 hits.
But it was Alyssa Valdez who proved to be Ateneo’s primary weapon as she finished with 25 points while Rachel Ann Daquis and Fille Cainglet combined for 23 hits to power the Lady Eagles to victory in the opener of their best-of-three Final Four series.
The win moved the defending back-to-back champions closer to a third straight stint in the finals of the league’s First Conference, hoping to close it out tomorrow at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
A UST victory, however, will set the stage for a sudden death for a finals berth, which will be played back at the Philsports Arena. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio