Blue Eagles soar, bag SSL 5th place

Lyann de Guzman took care of the scoring load and Geezel Tsunashima delivered the killing blows as Ateneo de Manila University beat College of Saint Benilde, 26-24, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, for a fifth place finish in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Tsunashima scored the Blue Eagles’ last two points in the fourth set to cap their dominating classification round campaign and replicate their best finish in the league’s centerpiece tournament.

Ateneo, which defeated University of the East in straight sets in the first phase of the classification, also ended fifth in the inaugural edition of the competition backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, GCash, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, R and B Milk Tea, Grab Philippines and Summit Water two years ago.

De Guzman finished with 20 points, six coming in the fourth frame, she collected off 19 attack points and an ace while middle blocker AC Miner added 13 markers for the Blue Eagles, who peppered the reigning National Collegiate Athletics Association champions Lady Blazers with 64 kills.

Tsunashima got all of her nine points from kills including the match-clinching hits.

“I told them not to relax because we were not playing the way we trained. I told my teammates to just fight, work harder and just trust each other,” De Guzman said.

The Blue Eagles trailed the Lady Blazers, 18-20, in the fourth set before unleashing a 5-2 run to take a 23-22 advantage.

Saint Benilde opposite hitter Clydel Catarig knotted the frame at 23 with a sharp attack. Tsunashima answered with a crosscourt kill that was initially called out but overturned following a successful challenge by Ateneo.

The Blue Eagles’ wing spiker then iced it with an off the block kill.

Catarig led Saint Benilde with 14 points she collected from 13 spikes and one kill while Zamantha Nolasco and Mary Grace Borromeo had 11 and 10 markers, respectively.

Catarig waxed-hot in the third frame scoring six points with Mycah Go and Borromeo throwing in plenty of help to avoid getting swept by Ateneo.

The Lady Blazers looked poised to force a fifth set only to lose steam at crunch time.

Action resumes on 22 November with three-peat-seeking National University and unbeaten De La Salle University clashing in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals.