THE ATENEO Blue Spikers played in the biggest stage of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s volleyball tournament on Saturday, March 1, for the first time in team history.
Coach Oliver Almadro’s troops went up against defending champions National University (NU) in their UAAP Finals debut at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, but ultimately succumbed to NU’s veteran poise and championship experience. NU drew first blood in the championship series, finishing off the Blue Spikers in three sets, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22.
The 0-3 final tally, however, was not indicative of how close the match was between the two squads.
The first set saw the two teams go back-and-forth with Ateneo holding a slim 8-6 advantage at the first technical timeout. NU would eventually take the lead and establish a 3-point advantage, 14-11. NU would hold onto the lead before squandering it at the closing moments of the set. Ateneo would regain the lead at set point, leading 24-23. Unfortunately for the Blue Spikers, they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity, which would eventually allow NU to take the first set, 29-27.
The second set would start off in the same fashion as the first as both teams jostled for the lead. With the game tied at 8-all, NU, however, would find another gear and go on a crucial 5-0 run to establish their biggest lead at 13-8.
With the defending champions starting to create distance, Ateneo’s prized rookie Marck Espejo would come up big for the Blue and White. Espejo would convert on several attacks to lead the Blue Spikers’ comeback and trim NU’s lead to one at 14-13. The set would remain tight and the Blue Spikers would once again have the chance to tie the game after Ysay Marasigan’s service ace put Ateneo within one, 19-20.
As Ateneo threatened to rally, NU’s main man and Season 75 Finals Most Valuable Player Peter Torres took charge. Torres came up with two consecutive blocks to give his squad some breathing room at 22-19. Torres would also end up securing the set for NU with a solid spike to end the second set at 25-22.
With a 2-0 lead, NU seemed determined to end things as soon as possible, establishing a 12-9 lead in the early part of the third set. Ateneo, however, had other plans in mind as they clawed their way back to regain the lead at 14-13 courtesy of a huge Neil Flores block.
At that point on, the intensity of the game was evident as NU’s Jan Paglinawan was handed a yellow card for having an altercation with Blue Spikers Head Coach Oliver Almadro.
The back-and-forth affair would hold until NU took the lead for good at 18-17. The Blue Spikers would remain within striking distance, but NU would eventually close things out at 25-22 courtesy of an Edwin Tolentino spike.
The match saw the young Blue Spikers squad stay in step with the much more experienced NU team. NU’s championship poise and experience, however, proved to be the main difference in Game 1 as they found a way to pull through at the end and close out each set.
Rookie Marck Espejo led the Blue Spikers with 19 points, 17 from spikes and two from blocks. Ysay Marasigan also chipped in 10 markers of his own.
The Blue Spikers will look to extend their season and the championship series on Wednesday, March 5, 2PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Game 2 of the Finals, which will be followed right after by Game 1 of the women’s volleyball championship series between the Ateneo Lady Spikers and three-time defending champion De La Salle University.
