A VALIANT recovery from a two-set deficit fell just short of the mark as the Blue Eagles were defeated by the National University (NU) Bulldogs in five sets, 19-25, 20-25, 25-19, 27-25, 10-15 in their second-round meeting in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Saturday, March 30, at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

Four Blue Eagles finished with double-digit scores, with Middle hitter Chu Njigha leading the way for Ateneo with 18 points, four of which were blocks. Tony Koyfman tallied 15 points while Ron Medalla chipped in with 13 markers. John Rivera added 10 points and 30 excellent receptions on defense.

NU ace Bryan Bagunas claimed the game-high 25 points with a 52% spike success rate. His supporting cast included Angelo Almendras and James Natividad who put up 18 and 17 points, respectively. Adding to NU’s list of double-figure scorers Kim Malabunga with 10 points.

The familiar faces of Njigha, Koyfman, Medalla, Rivera, Gian Glorioso, Egie Magadia, and Manuel Sumanguid composed Ateneo’s starting unit. Meanwhile, Kurt Aguilar, Bok Morado, Basti Cuerva all had brief cameos as substitutes.

The opening set was full of exchanges as both squads showcased their prowess in spiking. Koyfman sent the contest to its first technical timeout (TTO) shortly before Malabunga’s quick attack gave the Bulldogs a 4-0 run, 10-13. Just a few rallies later, NU sprung to a 3-0 run off a service ace from Almendras, 16-12. It was a strong and steady performance from the Bulldogs thereafter who maintained their lead to claim the set, 19-25.

NU carried their momentum onto the next set, jumping to a 4-point lead in the first TTO through Bagunas, 4-8. Ateneo struggled to defend NU’s attacks as they trailed midway through the second set, 10-16. The Bulldogs’ lead ballooned to eight at one point but Ateneo managed to pull a 4-0 blitz towards the end of the set to finish with a more respectable 20-25 scoreline.

In contrast to the second set, the third set was more a more competitive affair. Both squads went neck-and-neck before the Bulldogs went on a 5-0 run, 13-15. The Blue Eagles answered with a 7-2 run of their own, earning a comfortable 23-17 lead. Moments after, Medalla sealed their third set win by spiking off the blockers’ arms, 25-19.

The fourth set told a similar story as the Blue and White showed eagerness to extend the match to five sets. Njigha’s emphatic block put Ateneo ahead in the first TTO, 8-7. A 4-0 run from NU dampened the Ateneo faithful’s hopes for a fifth set, 15-18 but a gradual recovery from Ateneo late on turned the tide as they were able to lock the scores, 24-24. Cuerva’s entrance at 25-all spelled the difference as the Blue Eagles forced a decider, 27-25.

Taking a 3-1 lead early on in the fifth set, Ateneo made the prospective comeback look inevitable. However, a 3-0 run from the Bulldogs after an exchange of attacks from both teams completely turned the game on its head, 8-12. The Blue Eagles slimmed the lead to two, but Morado’s service error put the pressure on Ateneo, 10-13. Malabunga’s block on Medalla’s attack finally gave the victory to NU, 10-15.

After the match, Njigha acknowledged NU’s strong service in the fifth set. “I think yung problem is yung sa service reception. We couldn’t handle them kaya hindi rin kami nakagawa ng plays.”

(I think we had problems in service reception. We couldn’t handle them so we struggled to create some combination plays on the attack).

This defeat hands the Ateneo Blue Eagles a 6-4 record. They look to return to their winning ways when they take on the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in the Battle of Katipunan on Saturday, April 6, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Set scores
19-25, 20-25, 25-19, 27-25

Box score

Ateneo: Njigha 18, Koyfman 15, Medalla 13,  Rivera 10, Glorioso 8, Magadia 3

NU: Bagunas 25, Almendras 18, Natividad 17, Malabunga 10, Saura 8, Retamar 1