Another successful University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 match for the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) Lady Eagles as they conquered the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws in a three-set match last Wednesday, April 3 at the Flying V Filoil Arena in San Juan.
Teamwork was evident for ADMU, as Kat Tolentino and Ponggay Gaston both contributed 11 points, while Maddie Madayag, Bea de Leon, and Jules Samote chipped seven points individually. Overall, Deanna Wong was applauded for her 30 excellent sets, 12 digs, and four points as the set scores ended 25-21, 25-10, and 25-18.
Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro shared after the game that he’s “happy [his] players responded to the challenge,” saying in a mix of English and Filipino, “We know FEU will give a challenge. We told ourselves to expect FEU to give us a great fight. It’s their instinct to be a fighter because of their winning tradition. We have to level up our intensity and energy.” He added, “They cannot do it alone. Of course, it’s with the push of everybody. Everybody’s pushing each other up.”
Kat Tolentino also made sure to commend their win to a job well done by setter Wong, saying, “It was a great team effort and I really saw how Deanna really distributed the ball well and that’s how our team should play.”
With this win, the Lady Eagles are one step closer to taking the top spot into the Final Four. They will accomplish that task completely if they defeat the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs next Sunday, April 7 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. On the other hand, FEU is tied for third with the University of the Philippines (UP) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) and will try to strengthen their bid into the Final Four as they face the UP Lady Maroons next Saturday, April 6 at the same venue as well.