WITHOUT THEIR two best receivers on the team, the Ateneo Blue Eagles suffered their first defeat in two years, losing to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers in four sets, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 21-25, on Saturday, October 7 at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan City.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles will go to Game 3 against the Growling Tigers to decide who will meet the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws in the finals of the inaugural season of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Men’s Collegiate Conference.
Veterans Marck Espejo and Karl Baysa were absent from the lineup due to their University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Beach Volleyball games later in the day. Head Coach Oliver Almadro deployed Ron Medalla, Chu Njigha, Ish Polvorosa, Jino Labao, Gian Glorioso, and John Rivera, with Manuel Sumanguid at libero to begin the match.
Rivera led the team in scoring with 12 spikes and three blocks while middle blockers Njigha and Glorioso racked up eight and 13 points respectively. Sumanguid recorded 19 of 35 excellent digs and 16 of 27 excellent receives.
UST led early in the first set thanks to strong attacks by Joshua Umandal, 4-8. The Blue Eagles would not bow out, however, as a service ace by Glorioso cut the deficit to two, 13-15. A wide attack by Umandal late into the set tied the score, 22-22. UST then went on a 3-0 scoring run to end the set, 22-25.
The second set had the Growling Tigers leading early yet again. A quick attack by Jayvee Sumagaysay had his team lead by three at the first technical timeout (TTO), 5-8. UST doubled their lead by the second TTO, 10-16. Further into the set, Ateneo service specialist Paulo Trinidad disrupted the UST offense enough with his serve to force Umandal into an attack error that cut the deficit to one, 22-23. Unfortunately, a successful double block on Medalla’s attack took set-point for the Growling Tigers, 23-25.
The third set started off similarly as the last two, but a service ace by Njigha kept his team in the game, 8-9. UST was able to pull away, but another ace by Njigha cut the advantage back to one, 16-17. A block by Rivera on a UST running spike gave Ateneo the lead for the first time in the match, 18-17. Later on, Glorioso’s attack was called out, but Polvorosa attempted to protest the call, which merited him a yellow card, 20-20. The Blue and White then went on a 5-2 run and a kill by Labao off the double block ended the set, 25-22.
UST had the early lead in the fourth set yet again as an attack error by Medalla had his team down by five at the second technical timeout, 11-16. The Blue Eagles attempted to rally back as a spike by Rivera off the block put Ateneo only five points away from a fifth and deciding set, 20-23. Unfortunately, UST held Ateneo to just one point as the Growling Tigers took the match with a kill off the block by Manuel Medina, 21-25.
“Nagkulang kami [in terms of] attacks and points (we were lacking in terms of attacks and points),” observed libero Manuel Sumanguid. He also said that the team has to make major adjustments and hopes to redeem themselves on the next game.
Game 3 between the Blue Eagles and the Growling Tigers will be on Monday, October 9, to decide who will meet FEU in the finals of the PVL Collegiate Conference.
Box Scores
Ateneo: Rivera – 15, Glorioso – 13, Labao – 11, Medalla – 10, Njigha – 8, Polvorosa – 1, Llenos– 1
UST: Umandal – 23, Bautista – 16, Medina – 13, Tajanlangit – 7, Sumagaysay – 6, Carodan – 3, Corda – 1
