THE ATENEO Blue Eagles fell in straight sets to the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 14-16, in the 81st season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Sunday, February 24, at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Blue Eagles Head Coach Timothy Sto. Tomas fielded his usual starting lineup of Gian Glorioso, Chu Njigha, Egie Magadia, Tony Koyfman, Ron Medalla, Jan Rivera, and Manuel Sumanguid at libero. Service specialists Pau Trinidad and Bok Morado were used while Kurt Aguilar earned some playing time to bolster Ateneo’s net defense.

Medalla and Njigha both poured in 19 points with the latter garnering three kill blocks. Rivera recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 13 digs, and 34 receives. Sumanguid racked up 29 digs and 25 receives to make up for the team’s overall lack of blocking this game.

The first set started off close until a kill off the block by RJ Paler cut the deficit to one, 9-8. An attack error gave the serve back to the Blue Eagles, and it was Rivera’s bombardment from the service line that ensured the Tamaraws would not be able to get an attack together. An 8-0 run headlined by three consecutive quicks by Njigha put Ateneo ahead by nine, 18-9. The Tamaraws tried to rally back, but it was too little too late as a kill by Medalla ended the set in favor of the Blue Eagles, 25-20.

The second set was a neck-and-neck battle all throughout with neither team managing to go on scoring runs until after the second technical timeout (TTO) when Koyfman was denied by a triple block to force the timeout, 15-18. The Tamaraws looked to take the set with a cross-court kill by Richard Solis putting them just three points shy of tying the set scores, 17-22. The Blue Eagles answered back with a 3-0 run but it was abruptly ended by Medalla’s error, 20-23. FEU was able to close out the set with an off-the-block kill by Jude Garcia, 22-25.

FEU led early in the set as errors by Ateneo allowed them to go on a 4-0 run entering the first TTO, 5-8. The Blue Eagles were able to tie the score with a service ace from Koyfman, but another scoring run by FEU put the Tamaraws ahead at the second TTO, 13-16. FEU maintained their lead up until the end of the set when they forced a timeout after a kill off the block by Garcia, 21-24. Another kill by Garcia put FEU ahead two sets to one, 22-25.

The fourth set was another tight battle until a 4-0 run by Ateneo capped off by an off-the-block kill by Rivera gave them a cushion, 19-15. Offensive contributions by Njigha and Medalla allowed them to keep the lead and force a fifth set, 25-20.

The Blue Eagles were able to build a small lead early on, and a kill by Rivera put the slim lead at two, 12-10. Coming off a timeout, FEU went on a 3-0 scoring run to take the lead, 12-13. A spike by Koyfman was negated by a 1-2 play from Owen Suarez, 13-14. Koyfman tied the score with a cross-court hit but another 1-2 play and a free spike to zone 5 by Richard Solis finished the game, 14-16.

This marks the second consecutive five-set loss for the Blue Eagles. Njigha, who scored a career-high 19 points, commented that “intensity from the start and [lessening] lousy mistakes and errors,” would be the adjustments his team will make.

The next game for the Blue and White will be on Sunday, March 3 at 8:00 AM against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Ateneo now currently holds win-loss record of 1-2.

Set Scores

Ateneo-FEU: 25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 14-16