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/2016/sports/03/06/030616_ateneo.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">The Ateneo Lady Eagles after their loss to La Salle. Arvin Lim, <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/photos/2016/02/29/lady-spikers-top-lady-eagles-in-shocker-1337">ABS-CBN Sports</a></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – De La Salle University&#x27;s three-set victory over defending champion Ateneo de Manila University not only foiled the Lady Eagles&#x27; bid for a first round sweep, but also offered a sense of hope and relief for the rest of the teams in the UAAP Season 78 tournament.Ateneo entered their game against La Salle last February 27 with a 6-0 record, and had lost only one set so far in the season. The Lady Spikers were quick to shatter the aura of invincibility around the Lady Eagles, however.Led by Kim Fajardo, La Salle made quick work of Ateneo, 25-22, 25-14, 25-18, to hand Ateneo its first loss since March 2014, and ensure that no team will sweep the Season 78 women&#x27;s volleyball tournament.(READ: <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2016/03/06/ateneo-s-character-tested-battle-katipunan-9411">Ateneo&#x27;s character to be tested in &#x27;Battle of Katipunan&#x27;</a>)It marks the first time that the women&#x27;s volleyball tournament will not follow the step-ladder format in the Final Four since Season 75.&quot;Malaking bagay ito for other teams,&quot; said former La Salle captain Abigail Maraño, who was part of the squads that went 13-1 in Season 75, and 14-0 in Season 76.&quot;Magkakaroon sila ng hope na, kaya pala natin,&quot; she explained. &quot;Kung kaya ng La Salle, kaya din natin. Whether it&#x27;s UE, or Adamson, or UP, magkakaroon sila ng (hope) kasi walang sweep eh.&quot;&quot;Unlike before na, ah, sweep. Parang automatic, mapapa-isip ka na ang lakas ng team na ito dahil walang nakatalo sa kanila. Ngayon, nakita mo &#x27;yung weakness nila, and magkakaroon ka ng hope. Magkakaroon ka ng chance na i-practice &#x27;yung mga bagay na kailangan mong sanayin to be able to defeat them,&quot; she added.Relief for NU, FEULa Salle swept the elimination round in Season 76, which allowed them to enter the Finals outright, with a thrice-to-beat advantage to boot. Ateneo was able to overcome them in four games, however, for their first ever women&#x27;s title. The next season, Ateneo achieved the 14-game sweep as well, and completed a perfect 16-0 season by beating La Salle in two games in the Finals.That there will be no sweep – and no difficult, step-ladder format in the Final Four – delighted Far Eastern University coach Shaq delos Santos, whose Lady Tamaraws are among those battling for spots in the semi-finals.&quot;Honestly speaking, naging masaya kami,&quot; Delos Santos told ABS-CBN News following FEU&#x27;s win over National University on February 28. &quot;Parang binibigyan kami – not only sa team namin but sa other teams – binibigyan kami ng sign na pwede pa kami mag-push at mai-angat ang standing namin.&quot;FEU team captain Remy Palma shared her coach&#x27;s sentiments. &quot;Sobrang saya. Actually, nanood din kami after ng training, and siyempre, &#x27;di mo maiiwasan na … lagi na lang kasing step-ladder. Ang hirap na lagi na lang (ganoon).&quot;The NU Lady Bulldogs made it to the Final Four as the third seed, and pushed La Salle to a do-or-die game wherein they lost in four sets. This time around, NU star Jaja Santiago is relieved that they won&#x27;t have to go through the step-ladder as well.&quot;Sa amin, siyempre mas maganda kung walang sweep talaga. Walang step-ladder, so masaya kami na ganoon,&quot; she said.&quot;Pero at the same time, malungkot, siyempre. Kahit papaano, naging teammate ko naman &#x27;yung mga naglalaro doon,&quot; she added, referring to the Ateneo players who were her teammates in the Southeast Asian Games.UP head coach Jerry Yee similarly believes that La Salle&#x27;s win was a good thing for his team and the UAAP.&quot;Mas gusto natin ang ganoon, na walang step-ladder. Ang hirap ng ginagawang ganoon. Good na nanalo ang La Salle,&quot; he said.Easier said than doneLa Salle&#x27;s impressive victory – built on their spectacular serving, on-point blocking, and tireless floor defense – may give the other teams hope, but Yee warned that duplicating the Lady Spikers&#x27; feat is easier said than done.&quot;Theoretically, madaling isipin na kaya, but it&#x27;s the application, the execution that counts,&quot; he said. &quot;If you can get your girls na i-execute &#x27;yung game plan niyo, then very good. Like La Salle did – very good &#x27;yung game nila, and congrats to them.&quot;University of Santo Tomas coach Kungfu Reyes, for his part, shrugged off La Salle&#x27;s win.&quot;Kahit naman magtalunan sila sa taas, &#x27;di naman magiging affected &#x27;yung nasa ilalim. Kailangan namin manalo. Hindi kami pwedeng umasa sa iba,&quot; he said. &quot;Kailangan kami ang mag-trabaho, kailangan namin ng panalo talaga.&quot;La Salle followed up its remarkable win over Ateneo with a flat effort against Reyes&#x27; Tigresses, which saw them lose in three sets. The Lady Spikers recovered with a five-set win over Delos Santos and the FEU Lady Tamaraws to start the second round.Ateneo, meanwhile, is seeking to bounce back from their first loss in two years Sunday afternoon when they face off against Yee and the UP Lady Maroons.(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/"> ABS-CBN Sports website.</a>)

La Salle's three-set victory over defending champion Ateneo not only foiled the Lady Eagles' bid for a first round sweep, but also offered a sense of hope and relief for the rest of the teams in the UAAP Season 78 tournament.

Ateneo's loss to La Salle brings hope to rest of UAAP

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Sports

Ateneo's loss to La Salle brings hope to rest of UAAP

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 06, 2016 11:40 AM PHT

Read More:

uaap

uaap season 78

uaap women's volleyball

ateneo

la salle

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.