Monday, November 17, 2008 Ateneo spikers near gold By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
THE Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) girls’ volleyball team is turning the First Mindanao Children's Games (MCG) into its own playground.
The Ateneo spikers sustained their fiery form in the three-day meet with a 25 18, 25-14 spanking of the United Methodist School of Davao (UMSD) in the semifinals Sunday morning at the University of Mindanao (UM) Matina Gym.
The win pushed Ateneo to the gold-medal match against either Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC) or Kapitan Tomas Elementary School (KTEM), which are still playing as of press time. The highly anticipated finals match was scheduled at 2 p.m. Sunday.
"Hopefully, we will the championship. The girls must have to be consistent," said Ateneo coach Lorellei Acero Samela, who rested ace player and team captain Elyanna Dayanghirang for the match ahead.
The 12-year-old Dayanghirang saw limited action in the first set and did not play in the second, but her absence hardly mattered as her teammates did a wonderful job offensively and defensively.
"We just have to limit our errors (in the finals). We need cooperation on the court," said Dayanghirang as she emphasized to importance of teamwork in the championship match.
Ateneo is the champion in the recent Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) meet and the Davao Association of Colleges and Schools (DACS) competition.
Aside from Dayanghirang, the other members of the team are Karyn Bacon, Jubilee Acosta, Alyssa Agustin, Nicole Frando, Jela Peña, Maribelle Enriquez, Katherine Bermudez, Allia Maspiñas, Peach Lopez, Alyssa Alterado and Samantha Dizon. Assistant coach is Ronnel V. Tibay.
In basketball, AdDU also advanced to the gold-medal match after crushing Mati, Davao Oriental, 75-53.
