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UAAP volleyball: Ateneo veterans not panicking amid early losses

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/02/11/021118_admu1.jpg"/><figcaption>Ateneo&#x27;s veterans, including Jhoana Maraguinot (13) are staying optimistic despite a 0-2 start to Season 80. Arvin Lim, <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/volleyball/photos">ABS-CBN Sports</a></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles are in very unfamiliar territory.After making the UAAP women&#x27;s volleyball finals for six straight years, the Lady Eagles are in a rebuilding phase, having lost star setter Jia Morado and utility spiker Michelle Morente, as well as key players Ana Gopico and Kim Gequillana.They have struggled out of the gate in UAAP Season 80. With coach Tai Bundit still trying to develop a solid libero, and with setter Deanna Wong playing major minutes for the first time, the Lady Eagles have been inconsistent at best to start their campaign.There are times when they look capable of making a run to the Final 4. Against Far Eastern University (FEU) in their season-opener last Sunday, they went up 6-1 in the fifth set and Jhoana Maraguinot appeared ready to take over.Against National University (NU) on Wednesday, they showed tremendous grit in coming back from a two-set deficit, even blowing out the Lady Bulldogs 25-12 in the fourth frame.Yet both games ended up as losses for the Lady Eagles. In both games, they fell apart in crunch time, unable to even get their offense going as the Lady Tamaraws and the Lady Bulldogs bombed them with service aces.It is the first time since Bundit took over that Ateneo has started a season with back-to-back losses.&quot;Kapos lang talaga,&quot; said new team captain Maddie Madayag after they succumbed to NU in five sets. &quot;Kulang lang ng confidence &#x27;yung mga bata, kasi nga, marami kaming mga bago pa lang.&quot;&quot;Ako, Jho, at Bea (de Leon) – kami lang &#x27;yung mga beterano. &#x27;Yung setter namin, bago, &#x27;yun gmga libero namin, bago,&quot; she added. &quot;Kailangan lang talaga ng confidence para sa kanila.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2018/02/08/uaap-volleyball-nabor-adds-new-weapon-arsenal-37355">READ: Nabor adds new weapon in her arsenal</a></li></ul><div>Brand new team</div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/02/11/021118_admu2.jpg"/><figcaption>Receiving has been Ateneo&#x27;s major problem in their first two games. Arvin Lim, <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/volleyball/photos">ABS-CBN Sports</a></figcaption></figure></div>The three Ateneo veterans are putting their early struggles into perspective. They are well aware that expectations are always high for the Lady Eagles, given how successful the team has been in the past decade.Yet they also point out that Ateneo&#x27;s team for Season 80 is new, with young and inexperienced players being thrust into the spotlight for the first time in their careers. Wong was a libero last season and has the unenviable task of taking Morado&#x27;s place; all four of the liberos in their line-up now were converted to the position.Thus, the Ateneo veterans believe that despite a 0-2 start, the team&#x27;s effort should be applauded.&quot;I think, kahit papaano, lumalaban pa rin kami,&quot; said Maraguinot, who had 16 points in the loss to NU. &quot;Bago &#x27;yung first six namin, bata &#x27;yung first six namin. Sinasabi ni Coach Tai na as long as lumalaban kami, hindi namin hinahayaang three sets lang.&quot;&quot;It&#x27;s still okay,&quot; she stressed. &quot;Five sets &#x27;yung both losses namin. In a sense, we didn&#x27;t give up. Lumalaban pa rin.&quot;&quot;I guess it&#x27;s hard, coming lang from where we came from,&quot; said de Leon, referring to Ateneo&#x27;s past campaigns when they went on dominant runs en route to finals appearances. &quot;But if you look only at this season, and the mix of players, I think we&#x27;re still doing well.&quot;It helps that the Lady Eagles are well aware of what their problems are. They still have strong open spikers in Maraguinot and Kat Tolentino, while Ponggay Gaston gave a good account of herself against NU. Madayag and de Leon have always been solid middle blockers.Wong has been doing well so far, too. Ateneo&#x27;s issue, simply put, is that they are unable to receive. They gave up 20 aces to FEU, and 13 to NU. The Lady Bulldogs&#x27; final three points of the match came at the service line courtesy of Jasmin Nabor.&quot;Bago &#x27;yung liberos namin,&quot; Maraguinot explained. &quot;Marami sa amin, matagal na with the team, pero &#x27;yung liberos namin, bago pa kasi.&quot;Maraguinot also acknowledged that they have yet to fully capture the spirit that led them to great success in the past few years, as evidenced by their collapse in the fifth set of their games against FEU and NU.&quot;Kulang pa sa heart strong,&quot; said Maraguinot. &quot;Kasi pag sa dulo, kinakapos na kami. Ayun lang.&quot;Yet the three Ateneo stars also know that as the leaders of the team, they cannot afford to show frustration or despair.&quot;There&#x27;s no room for frustration. At this point, we just have to believe in each other,&quot; said de Leon.&quot;Kailangan lang ng maturity sa game,&quot; added Madayag. &quot;&#x27;Yung pinag-uusapan namin na, start strong, end strong. Kasi minsan, start strong, tapos ang panget ng finish. Or panget ng start, tapos maganda &#x27;yung finish.&quot;&quot;Andoon &#x27;yung pressure,&quot; Maraguinot acknowledged. &quot;Pero simula pa lang naman. Lahat, &#x27;yung mga libero namin, setter kinakapa pa &#x27;yung crucial games. Kaya &#x27;yun nga, all we have to do is guide them.&quot;They will try to earn their first win on Sunday, against Sisi Rondina and the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses.For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">Sports website.</a>

The Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles are in very unfamiliar territory.

UAAP volleyball: Ateneo veterans not panicking amid early losses

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UAAP volleyball: Ateneo veterans not panicking amid early losses

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 11, 2018 06:49 AM PHT

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Updated Sep 06, 2018 11:59 PM PHT

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