AFTER YEARS of playing on the court without a championship title, the Ateneo Blue Eagles finally clinched their historic victory last Season 77 over long-time rivals and volleyball powerhouse, the National University Bulldogs.

It was a long journey for the blue spikers, starting from their sixth-place finish in Season 75, a second-place heartbreaker in Season 76, and finally, their groundbreaking Season 77 victory.

The Blue Eagles entered last season prepared with a strong lineup of veterans and rookies. Undergoing a yearlong rigorous training program, the team was definitely ready for the competition. Although they encountered losses during the season, each player in the team continued to improve their errors and give their best during the games in order to avenge their previous letdowns.

In preparation for the upcoming UAAP, the Blue and White were able to gain many experiences in various competitions in the international scene.

However, the Blue Eagles are now entering Season 78 in uncharted territory, coming back to the UAAP to defend their championship title. Notable players who will be returning to protect their crown are Finals Most Valuable Player Ish Polvorosa, open spiker John Rivera, and back- to-back Most Valuable Player Marck Espejo–who will continue to lead the team with the most number of successful attacks.

Even with the exit of setter-turned-libero Tomie Rivera and Xavier Señoren, veterans Rex Intal, Josh Villanueva, and Ysay Marasigan will also remain with the team this season to provide championship experience.

In preparation for the upcoming UAAP, the Blue and White were able to gain many experiences in various competitions in the international scene, participating in both the 2015 Asian Men’s U23 Volleyball Championship and the 28th Southeast Asian Games. The Blue Eagles dominated the national team’s lineup, with Blue Eagle Head Coach Coach Oliver Almadro also being appointed as the national head coach.

And although the team was not able to make it to the Final Four in both competitions, they were able to gain another championship title in the Spiker’s Turf 2015, a local volleyball preseason tournament.

With their continuous success throughout the year, the Blue Eagles are ready to defend the championship title this Season 78.