THE ATENEO Blue Eagles defeated the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws in straight sets, 21-15, 21-15, and continued their winning streak against the Adamson University (AdU) Falcons, 21-19, 21-14, beginning their campaign in the University of Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament.
The victories put the Blue Eagles at the top spot of the team rankings with a 2-0 record after the first day of the elimination round.
Ateneo vs FEU
In their season opener against the FEU Tamaraws, Abai Llenos and Amil Pacinio secured the Blue and White their first win after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
During the first set, the Blue Eagles took an early lead courtesy of the free points given by FEU’s service errors. The Katipunan-based squad then had their own fair share of errors and eventually trailed FEU, 9-10, but Llenos regained the lead for Ateneo via a down-the-line attack that sent them into their first technical timeout leading 11-10.
Coming off the break, Ateneo snagged seven consecutive points, capitalizing on FEU’s misplays and stringing together impressive attacks that increased their lead to eight. The set concluded at 21-15 in Ateneo’s favor after a service error and a net violation by the Tamaraws.
In the following set, Ateneo struggled to handle the strong attacks of the Tamaraws. The momentum eventually shifted as the Blue Eagles recovered with Pacinio’s hits down the line, 4-2. The two teams traded offensive points for the first few minutes, then Llenos’ drop ball sparked an offensive run for Ateneo, 8-5. Yet FEU’s tall hitter Vincent Nadera willed the Tamaraws back into striking distance through his aggressive attacks in the middle.
Following the technical timeout, Ateneo scored three straight points, 15-12, prompting FEU’s Jerold Talisayan to try to break the run—but his attempts were no match for Pacinio’s and Llenos’ combined spikes. The match concluded with a win for the Blue Eagles in the second set, 21-15.
Ateneo vs AdU
In Ateneo’s afternoon matchup, it was evident that both Ateneo and Adamson were shaking off the rust after a long break from competition. The duo from Katipunan finally got their groove together when Casas started a mini-run on his own, which was continued by a smart drop shot and a powerful court smash by Llenos that put Ateneo up by three points, 19-16. Adamson’s Ned Pacquing tried to trim Ateneo’s lead down with his smashes from the sidelines, but Llenos eventually secured the first set for the Blue Eagles through a quick play connection, 21-19.
The returning beach volleyball veteran Llenos began Ateneo’s offense in the second set by swiping the ball off the hands of the Adamson blockers. He continued to dominate in the first half of the set with his crosscourt hits, but Ateneo’s attack errors allowed the Soaring Falcons to keep the scoreline close. Ateneo showed off from the service line with a flurry of aces, resulting in a 3-1 burst to push the team to a commanding 16-10 lead. As the set came to a close, the Blue Eagles became more comfortable with their attacks and cruised past their opponent for the win, 21-14.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles hope to continue their winning streak against the De La Salle University Green Spikers (2-0) and the University of Santo Tomas (0-1) tomorrow at 11 AM and 4 PM, respectively, at the SM Sands by the Bay in Pasay City.
