In line with the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Volleyball tournament, this weekly series will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their bid to win their fourth consecutive championship.

Recap of the week

COMING IN to the semi-finals, the odds were stacked against the defending champions, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, as they needed to overcome a second seed Far Eastern University (FEU) squad who held a twice-to-beat advantage over them . The season series ended in FEU’s favor as they defeated the Blue Eagles in a dominant three-set win and a close win in a five-setter where Marck Espejo scored 39 points.

Game 1 was for one for the history books as Espejo bombarded FEU all game long to score a UAAP record 55 points in a five-set win. By Game 2, the Tamaraws were sure to gameplan for Espejo who was moved to the opposite position in order to match up with a weak blocker. Setter Ish Polvorosa also made sure to give opportunities to the other hitters, which worked to perfection as the FEU blockers were always a step behind throughout Ateneo’s four-set win.

The Finals will feature a classic Ateneo vs. National University (NU) match up where the winner will be decided in a best-of-three series.

Upcoming games

Finals Game 1: Saturday, April 28, 12:00 NN vs. NU Bulldogs at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Finals Game 2: Wednesday, May 2, 12:00 NN vs. NU Bulldogs at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Marck Espejo, the unstoppable scorer

In his last three games against FEU, Espejo racked up a total of 131 points. In comparison, 131 points is enough to secure a top 20 spot in the Best Scorer standings.  In the semi-finals series, Espejo was spiking at a success rate of 55% against the second best blocking team in the league.

The first game in the semi-finals saw a historical 55 point performance, which was set up perfectly for Espejo. FEU’s blocking proved effective against the Blue Eagles except for Espejo, who carry the bulk the scoring load. Since Espejo was the only Blue Eagle able to consistently score in the game, most of the balls were sent his way. The Ateneo coaching staff was surprised after the game to learn that Espejo scored so many as they were telling Ish Polvorosa during the game to give him more opportunities. “Ish bigay mo na kay Marck! Yun pala he’s making these points na,” (Ish give it to Marck! But he was actually scoring a lot already) recalled coach Oliver Almadro.

The four-time UAAP Most Valuable Player is almost guaranteed to lock up his fifth award as he finished the elimination round as the best scorer, best spiker, and best server while maintaining a top five position in the Best Receiver race as well as ranking 10th in the Best Blocker category. Setting the single game UAAP score record is a fitting end to Espejo’s UAAP career.

Ish Polvorosa, the offensive orchestrator

With no other setter in the league even coming close to his numbers, four-time UAAP Best Setter Ish Polvorosa excels in placing the ball for the most optimal play. Putting up a per set average of 10.74 and 10 excellent sets in the regular season and the last two games against FEU respectively, the veteran playmaker catalyzes the Blue Eagles’ explosive offense. This was highlighted in Ateneo’s last game against FEU, which saw the Katipunan-based squad tremendously improve their offensive gains from their first Finals Four game of the season thanks to the elite setter’s pinpoint ball placement.

Being the point man since their first finals appearance in Season 76, Polvorosa has the experience to perform in the clutch and also to lead the younger half of the team’s openers who are playing in the finals for the first time as starters. The setter position demands more than the numbers—it requires an underlying confidence and vigilant leadership, which Ish Polvorosa has extensively ingrained in his game.

Manuel Sumanguid, the defensive anchor

Primary libero Manuel Sumanguid has been the main man on defense for the Ateneo Blue Eagles. Sumanguid has been a top libero throughout high school, winning the best libero award in UAAP Juniors Season 73 to 76. However, he has been unable to garner any significant awards in the UAAP Seniors division with his most recent being the best libero award in the first season of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference. Since the UAAP awards based on skill, Sumanguid’s all-around game is overshadowed by other liberos who are excellent at one skill such as digging or receiving yet may not be dominant in another.

His impact on the floor was a major factor in Ateneo’s back-to-back wins against FEU as he recorded a total of 40 excellent digs across both games while maintaining an excellent reception rate of 71%. This is a huge jump from his season average of 58.59%. These statistics indicate Sumanguid’s unprecedented step-up performance in the semis against a strong FEU side.

Finals match-up with NU

The Finals has been an Ateneo-NU affair since Season 76. The first time these two teams fought for the title, NU won the championship after taking two straight commanding victories against the Blue Eagles. This, however, would be the last time the Bulldogs would bring home the gold as Ateneo has take the crown in the last three seasons.

Although the teams are 1-all in their season series, NU enters the finals as the top-seeded team in the regular season compared to the third seeded Blu Eagles. This is a totally different story from before as Ateneo had previously been the number one team in the past three seasons. The Blue and White look like the underdogs now, especially after their recent crushing defeat against NU in four sets.

However, the fact that the Blue Eagles has just beaten the Tamaraws in the last two games despite being winless against them in the regular season goes to show that Ateneo has stepped up their game. They have personified an undying spirit to overcome even the tightest of odds, which goes back to their mantra, “We cannot deny our destiny.” This season’s title will all boil down to who is willing to give the most and who will never yield no matter how severe the situation may be, and perhaps this is the Blue Eagles’ key to victory.

After defeating FEU in the semifinals, Head Coach Oliver Almadro said, “[The team] sacrificed a lot. Inaral nila isa’t isa yung kalaban. (They studied each and every one of their opponents). Sabi nila sa akin (They told me), ‘Coach we will never back down.’”

“They [the team] sacrificed a lot. Inaral nila isa’t isa yung kalaban… Sabi nila sa akin ‘Coach we will never back down'” -Head Coach Oliver Almadro pic.twitter.com/62TiNmxjyD

— Apa D. Aquino (@Apa_TheGUIDON) April 25, 2018