THE ATENEO Men’s Volleyball Team took down the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Archers in straight sets, 25-23, 25-22, 25-15 to start Season 81 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Sunday, February 17, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Blue Eagles started Ron Medalla, John Rivera, Chu Njigha, Gian Glorioso, Tony Koyfman, Lawrence Magadia, and Manuel Sumanguid as the libero. Basti Cuerva and Jobok Morado would later enter the game from the bench.

The Blue and White were off to a slow start in the first set, unable to find their rhythm as the Green Archers scored with relative ease. Down 7-12, Ateneo’s wing spikers, Rivera and Medalla, caught fire and fueled a run that would push the set to 16-15 heading into the second technical timeout (TTO). From there, the battle remained close until Koyfman closed the set with a back-row kill, 25-23.

In the second set, the Blue Eagles went on a 8-3 run after back-to-back attacks from middle blockers Glorioso and Njigha. Despite a handful of DLSU attack errors, wing spiker Geraint Bacon led the Green Archers as they pulled to within three points, 16-13, by the second TTO. Errors continued to plague the Green Archers, however, as Kieffer Reyes’ fault at the net awarded the Blue and White the second set, 25-22.

As in the first set, the third set began with the Blue Eagles down, 4-9, mainly due to multiple Ateneo errors this time around. In a quick turn of events, however, the Blue Eagles exploded with a 17-1 run initiated by Rivera’s cross-court attacks and sustained by Koyfman and Njigha’s blocks and quick kills. The Blue Eagles dominated the set, winning the set and match after another DLSU service error, 25-15.

In the victory, Ateneo Head Coach Timothy Sto. Tomas mentioned the team effort as their key to finishing their opponent.

“Actually we were expecting na mahihirapan kami since first game namin,” Sto. Tomas expressed. “Buti nalang everyone stepped up [in the third set].”

(Actually, we were expecting to have a hard time since it’s our first game. It’s a good thing that everyone stepped up in the third set.)

The next game for the Blue Eagles will be against last year’s Final Four powerhouse the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers on Wednesday, February 20 at FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan City.

Set Scores

Ateneo-DLSU: 25-23, 25-22, 25-15

Box Scores

Ateneo: Koyfman – 15, Njigha – 10, Rivera – 10, Medalla – 9, Glorioso 7, Magadia – 1

DLSU: Dumago – 12, Bacon – 8, Anima – 7, Reyes – 6, Delos Reyes – 5, Marco – 2, De Jesus – 1