AFTER A spectacular comeback against Far Eastern University (FEU) for another Finals appearance, the Ateneo Blue Eagles fell to a smothering National University (NU) Bulldogs squad in straight sets (20-25, 19-25, 23-25) in the Game 1 of the Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Volleyball Finals on Saturday, April 28, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The taller NU Bulldogs hindered the Ateneo offense tremendously, denying the Blue Eagles 13 times in just three sets and limiting Blue Eagle phenom Marck Espejo to 16 points on 36.36 attacking efficiency.
Head Coach Oliver Almadro opened with the starters of Karl Baysa, Espejo, Polvorosa, Medalla, Gian Glorioso, Chu Njigha, and Manuel Sumanguid as libero. Later in the game, two server specialists, Jobok Morado and Pau Trinidad were subbed in as well as reserves Jasper Tan, John Rivera, rookie Jino Labao, and Lawrence Magadia.
In a very familiar Finals matchup, the Blue Eagles went off to a rough start with Bulldogs Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad nailing spike after spike. The first technical timeout(TTO) ended with Ateneo down three (5-8). Espejo, however, revved up his engine, scoring Ateneo’s next four points to fuel a 3-0 run. Unfortunately, this was quickly overshadowed by a huge 6-2 NU run. Powerful attacks by Bagunas and Kim Malabunga allowed NU to commanded the tempo. The Blue and White were down, 12-16, after the second TTO, but they never stopped fighting back. Medalla stepped up to hammer down a couple of spikes, putting the Blue Eagles in the 20s, but NU were too far ahead. A kill from Malabunga ended the first set of the match, (20-25).
[1st set] Malabunga takes set point with a quick.
Ateneo 20 NU 25#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/EFC3BExvZf
— James Gavina (@James_TheGUIDON) April 28, 2018
Eager to make a crucial comeback, the Blue Eagles switched gears to beef up their offense. With Rivera subbed in for Baysa, Ateneo was able to match the Bulldogs’ firepower and gain a slight advantage at the first TTO (8-7). From there, both teams would exchange blows and blocks, but NU would come out with the lead in second TTO (14-16). The Bulldogs then pulled away through a deadly 7-2 run towards the end of the set. A kill-block from Bagunas won the critical second set for NU (19-25).
[2nd set] NU claims the second set with a block.
Ateneo 25 NU 19#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/bJSEU70p8J
— James Gavina (@James_TheGUIDON) April 28, 2018
With Game 1 on the line, the third set was vital for the Blue Eagles to boost their odds to defend the crown. Again, Ateneo held their own against the Bulldogs with the return of Blue Eagle Captain Baysa. With triple blocks on Espejo and excellent reads from the Bulldog middle blockers, NU still held the lead by the first TTO (6-8). However, the Bulldogs blasted their lead forward (20-14) with almost all members of the team contributing to the run. NU committed a couple of errors towards the end, which Ateneo was able to springboard off thanks to Tan’s two kill blocks. Yet, a soaring Malabunga landed the final blow to take the match (23-25).
[3rd set] Malabunga takes match point to defeat the Blue Eagles in straight sets.
Ateneo 25 NU 23#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/nq0rnJ2NoV
— James Gavina (@James_TheGUIDON) April 28, 2018
After conceding the match, Ateneo has to win the next game to force a third Finals game to keep the championship dream alive. In the press conference, Head Coach Almadro emphasized a positive outlook amidst the painful loss and for the team to rest and come back stronger. “Dumating na rin kasi yung faitgue siguro (The fatigue probably caught us eventually) mentally, emotionally, and physically,” he said. “What’s important is hindi pa tapos yung series (the series isn’t over yet)—we still have one game to go.”
“What’s important is hindi pa tapos yung series, we still have one more game to go.” – Coach Oliver Almadro pic.twitter.com/9N91HBv8L0
— James Gavina (@James_TheGUIDON) April 28, 2018
Set Scores
Ateneo-NU: 20-25, 19-25, 23-25
Box Score
Ateneo: Espejo – 16, Medalla – 11, Glorioso – 5 , Polvorosa – 4, Tan – 3, Rivera – 3, Njigha – 2, Baysa – 2 ,
NU: Bagunas – 19, Natividad – 17, Gampong – 11, Malabunga – 8, Saura – 6, Dayandante – 1
