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Almadro not giving up on Final 4 chase: 'Nothing is impossible'

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="UAAP Media." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/04/04/20230404-uaap-media-2.jpg"/><figcaption>Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro. UAAP Media.</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Ateneo de Manila University is facing an uphill climb in its quest to make it to the Final 4 of the UAAP Season 85 women&#x27;s volleyball tournament.Ateneo has the second longest active Final 4 streak in women&#x27;s volleyball, with 11 consecutive appearances. But that is in danger of being snapped as the Blue Eagles have won just three times in nine games as the tournament enters its final stretch.As it stands, Ateneo is sixth in the league standings, behind Far Eastern University (5-5). De La Salle University (9-1), Adamson University (7-2), University of Santo Tomas (7-3) and defending champion National University (6-3) occupy the top four spots and appear to have an inside track to the semis.Even with the odds seemingly against them, Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro insists they are not losing hope and believes his team has what it takes to make a run in their final five games of the elimination round.&quot;Nothing is impossible,&quot; Almadro told reporters after they suffered a 23-25, 17-25, 24-26 loss to the Adamson Lady Falcons last Saturday, in their last match before the league takes a break for Holy Week. This is the first time since Season 73 that Adamson won both of their elimination round meetings.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/04/01/23/uaap-adamson-sweeps-ateneo-to-stay-at-no-2">UAAP: Adamson sweeps Ateneo to stay at No. 2</a></li></ul>&quot;With the Lord, nothing is impossible. Kung gusto ng players, nothing is impossible. The Lord will move mountains. If my players, if gusto ng mga players, they can do it. They can make it,&quot; the coach stressed.Almadro&#x27;s belief in his squad was boosted by their performance against Adamson. Though they were swept, the Blue Eagles showed some grit particularly in the third set, where they erased an eight-point deficit to force an extension.They ultimately fell short of sending the match to a fourth set as Trisha Tubu and Lucille Almonte capped Adamson&#x27;s win, but Almadro was proud of his players&#x27; effort.&quot;Kaya kanina, we are down by six points, seven points, but gusto nila eh. So we managed to come back,&quot; he said. &quot;But of course siyempre, meron sigurong mga matter na kailangan pang i-improve, kaya sa dulo nagfa-falter pa rin.&quot;Still, their comeback showed the coach that &quot;nothing is impossible.&quot;&quot;We have to keep the faith and keep on working hard, and acknowledge &#x27;yung mistakes, and move forward kung ano &#x27;yung pwede naming gawin. We have to be at the present,&quot; Almadro stressed. &quot;Kung ano nangyari ngayon, forget about it, move on.&quot;&quot;Kung hanggang saan kami abutin, kung hanggang saan kami abutin ng will namin, and saka kung saan kami gustong dalhin ni Lord, we will accept it with open hearts. Basta kami, patuloy lang kaming magsa-sakripisyo, magta-trabaho. Kahit ano mang sabihin ng mga tao, we are working hard to represent Ateneo well,&quot; he added.La Salle owns the longest Final 4 streak in the league, with the Lady Spikers having made the semis for 12 straight seasons -- a run that includes 10 straight championship appearances. Ateneo will take a brief break during the Holy Week, said Almadro, before returning to practice. They play on April 12 against the University of the Philippines. <div>UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines. </div>

The Ateneo Blue Eagles are facing an uphill climb in their quest to make it to the Final 4 of the UAAP Season 85 women's volleyball tournament.