The Ateneo Blue Eagles celebrate a point against College of St. Benilde in the 2024 Shakey's Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship, November 16, 2024 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Handout/SSLMANILA -- Ateneo de Manila University finished fifth in the 2024 Shakey's Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship after a four-set win against College of St. Benilde on Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles rode an extended win in the opening set for a 26-24, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23 result to wrap up the classification phase.

Lyann De Guzman paced Ateneo with 20 points, while Geezel Tsunashima nailed the crucial hits in the closing stretch of Set 4, including their final two points.

"Sabi ko sa kanila, 'wag masyadong relaxed. Kasi nakikita ko na hindi ito 'yung laro namin kapag nagte-training kami. Sabi ko lang, ilaban lang nila. Nandito kami, magtutulungan para sa isa't isa," said De Guzman of their win.

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's 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 put on the finishing touch with an off the block kill.      

De Guzman, who scored seven in the fourth frame, smashed 19 attack points and an ace while middle blocker AC Miner added 13 markers for Ateneo, which outgunned the reigning NCAA champions Lady Blazers in spikes, 64-48.

The Blue Eagles duplicated their best finish in the preseason tournament, having also finished fifth in the inaugural edition two years ago. 

Meanwhile, 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 Gon 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.  

-- UE beats UP in all-UAAP affair --

UE's Casiey Dongallo in action against UP in the 2024 Shakey's Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship, November 16, 2024 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Handout/SSLMeanwhile, University of the East powered past the University of the Philippines in an all-UAAP affair, 25-20, 25-22, 26-24, to salvage a seventh place finish.

Casiey Dongallo and Jelai Gajero took over in the closing stretch of the extended third set as the Lady Warriors snapped a four-game losing skid to end their campaign on a positive note.

The pair combined with veteran hitter KC Cepada to score a combined 20 points in the third frame to finish off the Fighting Maroons. This marked UE's first and only win against a fellow UAAP squad in the tournament.

Gajero finished with 17 points highlighted by 11 attacks including back-to-back kills to put the game away. The opposite hitter also had five kill blocks and one ace for the Lady Warriors.

Dongallo added 16 markers with 15 coming off spikes while Cepada scattered 14 points from 10 hits and four service winners.  

UE faced a tough challenge in the third set after cruising in the first two frames.

The Lady Warriors squandered a 22-19 lead after allowing UP to mount a 5-2 rally to move at set point after a Dongallo attack error. Gajero forced a deuce before the Fighting Maroons committed a costly miscue to relinquish the lead.

Gajero capped the one-hour, 30-minute game with a pipe attack.     

"Masaya na di namin natuloy dito ang third set curse namin. Masarap sa feeling kasi may na-beat kami na UAAP team," said Cepada.

"’Yung league na 'to parang basis siya kung ano ang strength namin para sa upcoming UAAP. Kung ano ang strength namin, weakness namin and ano pa ang mai-improve namin," she added.

Nina Ytang led the Fighting Maroons with nine points while Kassandra Doering and Kyrzten Cabasac had eight markers each in a lost cause.