Ateneo de Manila University recovered from a two-set deficit against University of Santo Tomas to solidify its hold of the top spot in the UAAP Season 81 women's volleyball tournament.
The Lady Eagles grabbed their seventh consecutive victory after fending off the Golden Tigresses in a five-set thriller, 19-25, 22-25, 27-25, 25-22, 15-11, Wednesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
Maddie Madayag showed the way as she finished with a career-high 23 points highlighted by a record-setting 11 blocks.
"UST really came prepared today. That's what I can say. But my players fought well and their resiliency is really there," Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro said.
The Lady Eagles prevented a sweep by keeping their composure towards the end of Set 3. Kat Tolentino made it 24-22, but back-to-back errors gave the Tigresses a chance to knot the score.
Sisi Rondina put UST at match point before Bea de Leon tied it again at 25. Tolentino followed up with a block on Rondina, then De Leon unleashed an ace to extend the game and transfer the momentum to Ateneo's side.
After the Lady Eagles took Set 4 and forced a deciding set, they made sure to get the job done.
From a 10-all deadlock, Madayag, Deanna Wong, and Tolentino conspired to mount a 3-point lead. Rondina tried to bring the Tigresses back with a kill, but she committed back-to-back errors in the succeeding plays.
"I really admire my players because of the trust they're giving me. I told them not to give up. It will come, just be patient and have fun," Almadro added.
Tolentino delivered 20 points built on 16 spikes, two aces, and two blocks, while De Leon contributed 11 markers. Wong finished with 38 excellent sets.
Ateneo continues to lead the league with a 7-1 record. UST, on the other hand, dropped to 5-3.
The Tigresses wasted away Rondina's career-best 35 points, which matched Alyssa Valdez's scoring performance back in Season 75.