The Ateneo Lady Eagles have been a staple of the UAAP finals since Season 74. For six straight seasons, they battled with archrivals De La Salle Lady Spikers for the crown and prevailed twice.
On Saturday, the Lady Eagles failed in their mission of extending their finals streak and gunning for the championship. They bowed out of the season after succumbing to the Bernadeth Pons-powered FEU Lady Tamaraws in four sets.
"We were very sad. It's a tough loss because it was all or nothing. But I just kept telling the girls that we have nothing to prove. I think we did our best and in a game like that, there are no regrets. We fought until the end, unlike our past couple of games," said veteran middle blocker Bea De Leon about the loss.
It has been a turbulent ride for the rebuilding Katipunan-based squad. With coach Tai Bundit nearly leaving the team before the season started, coupled with vacated setter and libero positions, many people - including the players themselves - did not really expect Ateneo to get this far.
"Even me, I myself had my own doubts with us not making it into the Final Four," admitted De Leon. "We had a lot of opportunities and we made it. That was the goal this season, the first goal. Of course, everybody wants to be a champion but it's not for us this year. I think we still [overdid] ourselves."
The Lady Eagles finished Season 80 in heartbreaking fashion. Before crashing down in the Final Four, they suffered two straight defeats at the end of the elimination round, which cost them the second seed and the twice-to-beat incentive.
"Maybe it's the pressure. It's more on the confidence (that's lacking). Probably because we're a young team, so when we make errors, we couldn't recover immediately. It's hard to explain," said team captain Maddie Madayag on what went wrong for them in the final stretch.
"It's not the best way to end the season because we had three straight losses. But I'm very proud of what my team has achieved," added De Leon. "We're a far cry from what we started in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), what people saw from us. Me solely being a part of the team and seeing them every day and how we improved, it's really huge."
Indeed, Ateneo still exceeded expectations by merely reaching the semifinals, especially knowing that a lot of the players are still adjusting to their roles.
"It's not that we overachieved because we still had a goal, we still wanted the finals. But then you know, with what we made, where we are, and with what we've accomplished this season, it's not disappointing," said Madayag.
Most of the Lady Eagles were reduced to tears after their last match. What made the mood more somber are the uncertainties that hound the team after this year's campaign.
Bundit confirmed that he will no longer return to his post next season. Both De Leon and Madayag have yet to decide if they're coming back for their fifth year, while Jho Maraguinot, the team's main scoring option, already bid her goodbye.
"I'm graduating. I have one more [playing year], but I think I'm done," said Maraguinot moments after her final UAAP game. "It was life-changing. I did not expect that my life will be like this because of volleyball, the UAAP, and Ateneo. I learned a lot. I know it made me a better person."
Ateneo may have fallen short but it has been a good run. The rebuilding continues for the team, and for sure, the offseason will be very busy for the players, the management, and the coaching staff as they gear up for next year. But for now, they all deserve to take a break and reflect on the past season before they take their next steps.
"We're going to take a vacation first. It was really a tough year," said De Leon. "We'll take a vacation first and from there, we'll start from zero."