TEAM PHILIPPINES—composed of the Ateneo Blue Eagles— defeated Laos in three straight sets, 30-28, 25-15, 25-18 on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at the National University of Singapore Multipurpose Sports Hall 5 in Singapore.
The team currently holds a 1-1 record in the 18th ASEAN University Games Men’s Volleyball tournament, while the opponent stand at 0-1.
The game looked to be a barn burner early on, as both teams traded blows in the first set. Momentum would shift from team to team, as advantage would switch between Philippines and Laos. This was the case until Laos had a 28-27 advantage late in the set. Reigning UAAP MVP Marck Espejo took matters into his own hands, spiking down three straight successful attacks to secure the first set for his country.
As the Philippines got into the groove of the game, the team’s skill prevailed and saw that they had the advantage going forward. Through Espejo, Ysay Marasigan, Karl Baysa, and Josh Villanueva, they pummeled Laos from all possible angles. Baysa constantly placed pressure on the Laos defense, subtly coming from the outside on their set plays. Former Blue Eagles team captain Marasigan would follow from time to time, taking Baysa’s spot on the court. Not to be outdone by his fellow team mates, Villanueva dominated Laos on the defensive end, denying their attacks and securing crucial points for the team.
“Coach said that we should think of this game as a stepladder in which each game is very crucial to go into the finals,” said middle-blocker Villanueva.
Team Philippines will face Singapore on Thursday, July 14, at 6:30PM in the National University of Singapore Multipurpose Sports Hall 5 in Singapore.
