A DOMINANT and decisive display from the Ateneo Men’s Volleyball Team saw them comfortably dispatch the Adamson Soaring Falcons in straight sets, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Volleyball Tournament on March 13, Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Graduating veteran Tony Koyfman topped the scoring chart with 14 spike points while Ron Medalla chipped in 11 markers. Middle blockers, Gian Glorioso and Chu Njigha combined for 7 block points while finishing with 10 and 9 points, respectively. Setter Egie Magadia posted 32 excellent sets and Libero Manuel Sumanguid recorded a double-double with 22 excellent digs and 11 excellent receptions.
Adamson Captain Paolo Pablico paced his team with 11 points–10 coming from attacks and a block. Leo Miranda got himself 10 markers while George Labang contributed nine points, with two coming from the service line.
Head Coach Timothy Sto. Tomas fielded his usual starting lineup consisting of Koyfman, Medalla, Glorioso, Njigha, Magadia, John Rivera, and Sumanguid. Basti Cuerva and Bok Morado both made cameos on the court as pinch servers.
The Blue Eagles got off to a 5-1 run to begin the opening set as Adamson committed several errors that included a couple on the attack and a net-touch violation. The Magadia-Glorioso connection on the quick play ensured an 8-4 lead for Ateneo going into the first technical timeout (TTO).
The two sides exchanged points throughout most of the set but Magadia’s block kill widened the gap at 18-12 and forced an Adamson timeout. Not long after, another timeout was called by the Falcons after a block point from Njigha as the scoreboard read 21-14. Magadia replicated another unlikely block point to give the Loyola side a 1-0 set lead, 25-18.
The second set was tightly contested from the get-go as both squads had answers to everything thrown at them. The Katipunan-based side trailed 12-14 early in the set but the team’s superb floor defense swung the momentum back in favor of the Blue Eagles, 16-14. Glorioso then showcased his net defense in the closing stages of the second set with back-to-back block points before Koyfman sealed a 2-0 set lead with an off-the-block kill, 25-22.
Adamson looked determined to stage a comeback in the third set behind their leader Pablico as his two consecutive spikes gave his side a 4-8 lead heading into the first technical timeout. Both sides went on to trade runs before the introduction of Cuerva solidified the Eagles’ footing. His serves troubled the receivers of Adamson which in turn disrupted and slowed down the setup of their attacks, resulting in a 5-0 run in favor of Ateneo, 23-19. Njigha and Magadia then linked up perfectly for a quick hit in the final rally to claim the straight set victory for their side, 25- 21.
Coach Timothy Sto. Tomas expressed his delight in the team’s performance after the game. “I told my players that in order to get our goal, we have to start winning games consecutively if we want to reach the Final Four,” he said. “They responded to the challenge well. There were lapses but they were able to overcome them quickly.”
He also stressed the importance of blocking when they square off against their next opponent, the National University Bulldogs. “They’re the tallest team in the league so we really have to work hard not really on the kill blocks but at least get one touch, and then get to transition,” he added.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles will continue their UAAP Season 81 Men’s Volleyball on Saturday, March 16, at 8 AM against the second seed NU Bulldogs at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
Set Scores
Ateneo – ADU: 25-18, 25-22, 25-21
Box Score
Ateneo: Koyfman 14, Medalla 11, Glorioso 10, Njigha 9, Rivera 8, Magadia 3
ADU: Pablico 11, Miranda 10, Labang 9, Bello 5, Alvarez 5, Amburgo 1
