In line with the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 80 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
EAGER TO extend their winning streak to nine games, the Blue Eagles suffered a heartbreaking defeat against the only team to hand them a loss this season, as they fell to the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws. The Tamaraws took the match in five sets, 27-25, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21, 14-16 on Saturday, March 17, at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan City.
Four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) tied the UAAP record for most points in a game at 36, but FEU’s kill-squad of Redijohn Paler, Jude Garcia, and John Paul Bugaoan all garnered at least 15 points each to combine for 49. Considering Ateneo’s straight-set loss against FEU in the first round, this match came down to the wire, with the Tamaraws clipping the game as the dust settled.
Ateneo’s next face-off was the Battle of Katipunan, where the Blue Eagles came out on top against the University of the Philippines (UP) after a nail-biting fourth set, 24-26, 25-15, 25-18, 31-29, on Saturday, March 24. Despite missing an injured John Rivera and Gian Glorioso, the Blue Eagles prevailed after dropping the first set.
1. Marck Espejo, Mr. Everything
Fifth-year elite wing spiker Marck Espejo has been absolutely unstoppable, and any team that wants to beat the Blue Eagles must devise a strategy to keep him at bay. The four-time MVP is the currently the league’s best and most efficient spiker, tallying 223 attacks at a proficient 50.91% success rate. Put two blockers on him, and he will manage to blast through them. Put three on him, and he still finds a way to score off-the-block.
Behind the service line, Espejo leads the league in aces at 17, tied with FEU’s Bryan Bagunas. On the defensive end, the MVP sits fifth in blocking with 24 kill blocks, which is unprecedented considering all the other players on the list are middle blockers.
[4th set] Cross court kill by Espejo to force the fifth set!
Ateneo 25 FEU 21#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/XdYCEUkwfy
— James Gavina (@James_TheGUIDON) March 17, 2018
Espejo’s production in the past two games only confirms his superiority, as he racked up 39 points against FEU and 30 against UP. The league expects him to put up the same eye-opening figures in the games to come.
2. Less kill blocks but strong rebounding
Currently averaging 2.35 kill blocks per set, the Blue Eagles rank fourth in the league, falling just below De La Salle University (DLSU) on the list. Ateneo’s blocks have decreased to an average of just 1.67 blocks per set in the past two games compared to their 3.14 per set average during their games against La Salle and Adamson University (AdU).
This drop in kill blocks has significantly stunted the Katipunan-based squad’s scoring output; however, there is a key statistic that brings some relief for the team. Ateneo ranks second in rebounds at 341 totalled, meaning they block well enough to put the ball back in play. With their top-notch offensive capabilities in Marck Espejo and Ish Polvorosa, the league’s current best spiker and best setter respectively, every rebound can be easily translated into a kill.
3. Overcoming injuries
Most recently, Blue Eagle starter Gian Glorioso suffered back spasms prior to the match against UP, forcing Head Coach Oliver Almadro to keep him on the bench. The third-year middle blocker is one of the league’s best blockers with 21 kill blocks and 77 rebounds. Veteran wing spiker and bench player John Rivera sat out the entire game against UP after his left knee situation had worsened.
The injuries, however, did little to stop the Blue Eagles from taking down UP, thanks to Chu Njigha, Ron Medalla, and Captain Karl Baysa. Middle blocker Njigha and opposite spiker Medalla both put up double digit figures in the game, with the former making key plays in the clutch. Baysa, the fifth-year defensive specialist, came up with three kill blocks and seven total points in the game.
[4th set] Medalla delivers an ace in the clutch to give Ateneo the win!
Ateneo 31 UP 29#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/V6kzh54gEG
— Apa D. Aquino (@Apa_TheGUIDON) March 24, 2018
The Blue Eagles have four more games to go in the second round of the UAAP tournament, and with nine wins and two losses they are currently tied with Far Eastern University and National University (NU) for the top spot.
Upcoming games
Saturday, April 7, 8:00 AM vs University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigers (4-6) at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Wednesday, April 11, 8:00 AM vs University of the East (UE) Red Warriors (0-11) at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
