A TIMELY substitution late in the fourth set spelled the difference as the Ateneo-Fudgee Barr Blue Eagles scored their second victory in four sets against the Instituto Estetico Manila (IEM) Volley Masters, 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23 in the 2018 Spiker’s Turf Open Conference on Tuesday, October 9, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

Tony Koyfman had another stellar performance, topscoring the game with 16 points on sixteen kills. Ron Medalla chipped in 12 points on nine attacks and three service aces, while middle blocker Gian Glorioso contributed 11 points on eight spikes and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Mark Enciso led the way for IEM with 13 points on twelve kills and a service ace while Team Captain Jeffrey Jimenez provided the spark off the bench with 10 points on five kills and five blocks.

Coach Timmy Sto. Tomas stuck with a familiar lineup to start the game, featuring setter Lawrence Magadia, open spikers Medalla and John Rivera, utility spiker Koyfman, and middle blockers Chu Njigha and Glorioso.

Both teams were rusty to start the game, trading points through multiple errors as a Jonathan Sorio off-the-block kill handed the Volley Masters a 7-8 lead heading into the first technical timeout (TTO). However, the Blue Eagles looked reenergized coming out of the TTO, with a Glorioso kill sparking a 5-0 run to go ahead 12-9.

After Ateneo enjoyed a 16-12 lead heading into the second TTO, a couple of kills allowed IEM to slowly inch close before finally regaining the lead after a Koyfman attack sailed long, 18-19. But the Katipunan-based squad was not rattled, with Koyfman getting his groove to close out the set via a cross-court spike, 25-22.

IEM looked brilliant to start the second set, forcing back-to-back errors while producing numerous kills to take an early advantage, 5-6. However, consecutive errors from Rey Taneo allowed Ateneo to enter the first break with a two-point lead, 8-6. Both teams then continued to put points on the board, with IEM getting a pivotal block from Enciso to surge ahead into the second TTO, 14-16.

The Makati-based squad continued to pour in points, going up by as much as four, 15-19, forcing the Blue Eagles to call timeout. That was all the boys needed as Njigha, Rivera, and Medalla came alive to spark a 10-3 run, taking set number two for Ateneo, 25-22.

It was a seesaw battle in the beginning of the third set as both teams traded multiple kills. Ateneo enjoyed an 8-7 lead at the first TTO courtesy of a Koyfman kill. IEM seemed to get their rhythm after the intermission, scoring several points against the struggling net defense of Ateneo. However, their errors prevented them from pulling away as they walked into the second TTO with a slim 15-16 advantage.

The Volley Masters continued their onslaught as an Enciso block gave them a 19-21 lead. Ateneo managed to tie the game after a series of attacks, but back-to-back blocks by Ferdian Guanzon and an off-the-block kill by Enciso claimed the set for IEM, 22-25.

Not wanting to extend to a fifth set, the Blue Eagle spikers produced points by the bucket as Medalla’s off-the-block kill gave Ateneo an 8-5 edge entering the first TTO. Two consecutive aces from Medalla capped off the Blue and White’s 4-0 run, which  handed Ateneo the biggest lead of the match, 16-11.

However, IEM would not go down without a fight, clawing their way back through Ateneo’s multiple errors to tie the game, 18-18. Both teams continued to trade a flurry of attacks, but errors from the Blue Eagles gave the Volley Masters a 21-23 lead, paving the way for a wild finish to the match.

After Koyfman produced a cross-court kill to trim it to a 22-23 deficit, Coach Sto. Tomas made an unexpected tactical move, subbing out Koyfman and setter Magadia for sophomore Bok Morado and rookie Kurt Aguilar. The gamble ultimately paid off.

A great set from Morado led to a Medalla kill, tying the game at 23-23. But more than a point, this sudden surge of energy from the reserves rattled the IEM defense which ultimately led to their back-to-back errors, sealing the comeback win for Ateneo, 25-23.

After his late introduction to the game, Morado admitted being really nervous. “I wasn’t expecting it. Honestly, I just didn’t want to make an error, because I knew naman na if we could set up a good block, either we score off of it or at least score off a good transition. I was thinking lang na I just had to do my job,” the versatile setter and libero shared.

Ateneo-Fudgee Barr will continue to stake their undefeated record against the PLDT Home Fibr Power Hitters on Friday, October 12, 3:00 PM, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

Set Scores

Ateneo-IEM: 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23

Box Score

Ateneo: Koyfman – 16, Medalla – 12, Glorioso – 11, Rivera – 10, Njigha – 7

IEM: Enciso – 13, Jimenez – 10, Camaganakan – 10, Sorio – 8, Santos – 7, Canlas – 6, Guanzon – 6, Taneo – 3