THE ATENEO Blue Eagles take down the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in straight sets, 25-16, 25-16 and 25-21 on Saturday, August 20 at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.

The Blue Eagles stand undefeated with a 4-0 win-loss record, while the Growling Tigers earn their first loss in the Spiker’s Turf tournament.

The Growling Tigers drew first blood in the match showcasing their powerful attacks towards the Blue Eagles side. However, due to the errors made by UST, the Blue and White were able to redeem themselves and extend their lead with the contributions of Marck Espejo and Tony Koyfman in offensive output. With Gian Glorioso coming into the court, his drop shot and block earned two consecutive points and took the first set for the Blue Eagles.

The second set featured the Blue Eagles coming out stronger as the Growling Tigers were plagued with more errors and violations during the set. As the Blue Eagles led a five-point streak at 21-12, Juren Buro ends the streak that spiked the Growling Tigers to perform better at the latter part of the set. However, Koyfman capitalizes on his height to defend the team to reach the set point and the set ends with service errors from both teams.

In the third set, guest players Ysay Marasigan and Timmy Sto. Tomas were brought into the court by Head Coach Oliver Almadro. Marasigan contributed a total of seven points in offensive output in this set only, while Sto. Tomas was crucial in the defense of Ateneo, contributing seven successful receptions and four excellent digs. Although the Growling Tigers inch closer to the Blue Eagles’ score at 22-21, Marasigan extends the lead and takes the match for this alma mater team.

Top scorer Espejo led the team with 8 points, followed by Villanueva and Marasigan with 7 points each. Compared to previous games, the offensive output has been spread out within the team due to the improved contributions of the team members.

As the Blue Eagles earn their ticket to the semifinals, Coach Almadro emphasizes to his players that consistency is the key to their success.

“We hve to be consistent and we have to stay hungry,” say Coach Almadro. “We shouldn’t have the mindset na undefeated kami, we should always have that winning attitude.”

Box scores:

Ateneo: Espejo- 8, Marasigan- 7, Villanueva- 7, Koyfman- 6, Intal- 6, Glorioso- 3, Baysa- 2, Polvorosa- 2, Sto. Tomas- 1

UST: Carodan-6, Medina-5, Jose-5, Buro-4, Bautista-4, Amagan-3, Umandal-2, Sumagaysay-1, Tajanlangit-1