THE ATENEO-FUDGEE Barr Blue Eagles improve to a 5-3 win-loss record after a four-set victory over the Philippine Air Force (PAF) Jet Spikers, 25-19, 18-25, 25-21, 25-15, in the Spikers’ Turf Open Conference on Friday, November 23, at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.

Blue Eagles Head Coach Timothy Sto. Tomas fielded his usual starting lineup of Gian Glorioso, Chu Njigha, Egie Magadia, Tony Koyfman, Ron Medalla, Jan Rivera, and Manuel Sumanguid at libero. Service specialist Pau Trinidad was also used throughout the match, while rookies Zach Santamaria and Kurt Aguilar were given some playing time off the bench.

Koyfman led the team in scoring with 21 points while Glorioso was behind him with 15 points off a spiking efficiency rate of 65%. Magadia’s playmaking was a key factor in Ateneo’s win, with multiple rallies being won from unmarked spikes by Koyfman or quick plays to Njigha and Glorioso from impossible angles. The veteran setter notched a total of 30 excellent sets in four sets of play. In terms of errors, the Jet Spikers struggled during the entire game as they gave up 34 points as opposed to Ateneo’s 25.

Njigha was on fire from the service line to start the match as he single handedly led his team to a 5-0 run, with two aces and three errors caused directly by his well-targeted serves. The two teams continued to trade points, but the Blue Eagles were able to maintain the lead by the second technical timeout (TTO), 16-11. The Katipunan-based squad asserted their dominance with a 7-1 scoring run that put them ahead by eight, 23-15. A service error by Ranran Abdilla, PAF’s top-scorer in the game, finished the set, 25-19.

Early runs led by Abdilla allowed the Jet Spikers to gain a six-point lead off a block on Koyfman, 8-14. After this, a 6-1 run by PAF widened the deficit to nine and forced the Ateneo coaching staff to make a tactical substitution that exchanged Aguilar for Rivera. The set continued as a back-and-forth affair with the Blue and White going on a few small runs. It was too little too late, however, as the Jet Spikers converted set point off a service error by Koyfman, 18-25.

The third set started as a close battle with both teams trading runs. The Katipunan-based squad was able to pull away thanks to a 3-0 scoring run capped off by a crossing violation by the Jet Spikers, 18-15. In the tight affair, the Blue and White successfully maintained their lead, with their last five points coming from four spikes and a block by Koyfman, 25-21.

Aiming to close the match, Ateneo went on a 3-0 run early in the set take the lead heading into the first TTO, 8-5. The Jet Spikers tried to fight back, but the Blue Eagles had momentum on their side as they further widened the deficit, 15-9, with a 5-0 scoring spree highlighted by two consecutive jousts at the net won by Glorioso. Another five unanswered points by Ateneo later finished the set and the match, 25-15.

“Every game I always tell the kids to go all out,” commented Sto. Tomas, who hopes his players continue to play well in the final stretch of the tourney’s elimination rounds.

Searching for a sixth win that will eliminate the possibility of a playoff and guarantee the Blue Eagles a spot in the post-season, the Ateneo-Fudgee Barr Blue Eagles will challenge the Sta. Elena Construction Wrecking Balls, at 3:00 PM on Thursday, November 29 at the same venue.

Set Score

Ateneo-PAF: 25-19, 18-25, 25-21,  25-15

Box Scores

Ateneo: Koyfman – 21, Glorioso – 15, Njigha – 8, Medalla – 6, Magadia – 4, Rivera – 4, Aguilar – 1

PAF: Abdilla – 22, Mojica – 12, Malabanan – 8, Tolentino – 6, Labrador – 5, Lopez – 1, De Ocampo – 1