In line with the return of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Volleyball Tournament, this weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles as they look to land a spot in this season’s Final Four.
THE ATENEO Blue Eagles were able to improve their standing during the last stretch of games for the first round as they currently hold a 3-4 win-loss record. They currently sit in fifth place in the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Volleyball rankings as they approach the second round of eliminations.
The Ateneo Men’s Volleyball Team (AMVT) made quick work of the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons last March 12 where they won in straight sets, but they were defeated in the following game against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Spikers last March 15, 1-3. However, they successfully bounced back from the loss after sweeping the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons last March 19.
1. From backbone to brain
Matthea: WHEN THE ball is saved, the rally is sustained.
Emerging second best in ball recovery at the floor, Ateneo averaged 8.36 digs per set, less than half a point increment from De La Salle University’s 8.38 in the first round standings. Although the Blue and White hitched 209 excellent digs out of its 741 attempts, the Taft-based squad made significantly less faults than Ateneo. This slight upset in retrieving the ball, however, only fuels Ateneo’s seasoned defensive specialist and Team Captain Lance De Castro’s in-court alertness. The eagle-eyed libero racked up 80 undeniably sharp digs, single-handedly accounting for nearly half of the team’s statistic.
De Castro’s mid-play analytical talent particularly shone through in the match against UP, where the Fighting Maroons’ spike record shot above 70 failed attempts in hammering down Ateneo’s defense. Exercising both reflex and the rapid initiative to cover a large area of the court, De Castro’s consistent ball handling bolstered Ateneo’s momentum in keeping the ball alive to transition for kills.
Running the team’s offense after the libero’s touch is a crucial stint entrusted to an equally critical player: the setter. Now ranking sixth in the first round’s best setters this season, veteran Egie Magadia’s delicate touch to set the ball to Ateneo’s hitters has proven efficient in the past three matches. All the team’s excellent sets were launched from the hands of the veteran, whose precision and quick play adjustment garnered 82 running sets and no more than eight errors.
As the Season 81 Best Setter, Magadia assumes his responsibility as the long-serving playmaker by maintaining court order and guiding other members of the team in calling plays. With the leadership of a player who is more familiar with the team’s offensive front, the Blue Eagles benefit greatly from Magadia’s veteran presence. Every time Magadia is on the court, he is able to balance his adept experience and the younger teammates’ skills—a very crucial factor in synchronizing the diverse offense of Ateneo.
Rising setter James Licauco does not trail far behind Magadia’s skill placing, as the earlier ranked as the league’s 10th-best setter with 30 running sets and only two faults. Though both have made significant contributions to Ateneo’s continuously improving offense line, Licauco still has much to learn from his senior when it comes to activating the team’s open and outside hitters.
2. Taking better aim
Caitlin: GIVING THE second-seeded Golden Spikers a fright by taking the first set and extending the next, the Blue Eagles proved that they have all the needed ammunition to rise up the ranks. Matching the plays of league leaders won’t be a problem for the Blue and White, but it’s their difficulty with closing the set and the match that the team needs to address.
Last March 15, the squad from España earned 10 block points—twice the number of shutdowns the Blue Eagles had. UST’s fortified barrier challenged Ateneo’s go-to pin hitters in Ken Batas and Jian Salarzon, which turned out to be a major factor that contributed to the loss. In the second set, both teams were tied at 26, yet Salarzon was denied at the net twice in a row. Similarly in the fourth canto, Batas sent attacks straight into the block—giving UST not just a two-point lead, but the momentum they needed to win.
At the most crucial moments, the Katipunan-based squad fell short with regard to making the correct in-game decisions of what kind of ball contact they should execute when faced with good blocking teams like UST. Hard spikes are extremely difficult to cover when blocked, and attackers have alternatives such as outsmarting the opponent with drop balls, swipes, or even calculated hits to hit the ball off the block.
[Set 3]
— Caitlin Bernal (@Ayin_TheGUIDON) March 15, 2023
Llenos goes off the block for a point!
Ateneo 10 UST 10#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/DFqJOxkUGj
Abai Llenos, who emerged as the best scorer of the game, demonstrated this strategy during the third set where he successfully adjusted to the tough España wall with off-the-block points. Similar to the match against the University of the East, the 6 ‘0 tall veteran collected most of his points by outsmarting the blockers which helped the Blue and White catch the lead or keep it to a minimum. However, like what was discussed in our last weekly takeaways, solely relying on the seniors may not prove sustainable for Ateneo. To close out games, composure will be needed from all the players on the court to ensure that every designed play is correctly carried out.
If the AMVT can sustain its strengths in reception and defense while making the necessary adjustments, the Blue Eagles may be able to clinch a much better standing in the next round. From the potential they’ve shown in the past few games, they’ve already proven that they shouldn’t be overlooked as possible contenders in the Final Four scene.
This week’s games:
Saturday, March 25 2:00 PM vs University of the East (UE) Red Warriors at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in the City of San Juan.
