THE ATENEO Blue Eagles defeated the De La Salle University (DLSU) in straight sets, 21-16, 21-18, but fell to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Sands, 14-21, 19-21 during the second day of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 84 Men’s Beach Volleyball Tournament.

Today’s match results mean the Blue Eagles hold a 3-1 record after the second day of the elimination rounds.

Ateneo vs DLSU

The Blue Eagles had a shaky start to their first game of the day as Amil Pacinio’s sets were too low for the main offensive hitter Abai Llenos, resulting in Ateneo’s attacks going wide. Ateneo’s score soon improved as Llenos regained his footing on the sand and delivered strong hits that DLSU was unable to dig out. Llenos continued to challenge the reception of the Green Archers with three consecutive service aces that sparked a 5-0 run to regain the lead, 11-9.

After the DLSU side called for a timeout, the break proved to be ineffective as the Blue Eagles were able to adjust their defense in anticipation of the DLSU combination plays. Towards the end of the first set, Pacinio creatively used a variety of shots to mount a 3-0 run of his own to put Ateneo ahead by five, 19-14. Pacinio’s seasoned partner Llenos then thwarted any sort of comeback attempt by the Green Archers as he secured the first set when he caught the DLSU defense lacking in the backcourt. 

In the beginning of the second set, both teams executed successful attacks that ensued in an early deadlock at 5-5. The exchange of points between the rivals continued, but Noel Kampton’s strong wall gave the Taft-based squad a one-point  upperhand.

Unable to build on this momentum, DLSU’s Vince Maglinao committed a service fault that allowed Ateneo to tie the game at 6-6. Despite this, the Green Archers managed to pull away from the Katipunan-based squad through Kampton’s soft touches combined with service errors from the Blue and White, placing the score at 10-8 for DLSU.

Recovering from the score offset, Llenos stepped up and managed to notch two consecutive points through smart plays that countered the Green Archers’ attacks. Riding on this streak, Llenos earned his fifth point from the service line and landed his strong shots against the Green Archers, giving Ateneo the 12-11 advantage. As both teams traded points during the latter part of the set, a service ace from Pacinio and consecutive failed attacks from Maglinao concluded a sweep for the Blue Eagles.

Ateneo vs UST

For their afternoon matchup, the Blue Eagles struggled to respond to the Tiger Sands’ strong hits, as they trailed, 3-9, in the opening set. Given UST’s pedigree as the defending champions, standout hitters Rancel Varga and Efraem Dimaculangan exerted their dominance to extend UST’s lead to seven, 6-13.

The Blue Eagles managed a four-point mini-run as they tried to cut down the lead, 11-18. However, Ateneo’s aggressiveness off strong attacks eventually forced them to commit unforced errors as UST slowly started pulling away, before ultimately capturing   the first set, 21-14.

Recovering from their first set loss, Pacinio began the second set with an off-the-block attack. However, UAAP Season 82’s Beach Volleyball Most Valuable Player Varga’s back-to-back attacks gave UST the early lead at 4-2. Both squads continued to trade off points, but Dimaculangan managed to keep the momentum on España’s side, 12-9.

After the technical timeout, strong attacks from Llenos had both teams exchanging points, but impressive responses from UST kept the Blue Eagles at bay with the score at 15-17. Pacinio and Llenos then landed their own accurate cross court shots, but attacks from the Tiger Sands managed to graze the line and place UST at match point. While off-the-block hits from both Llenos and Pacinio narrowed the score to 19-20, Dimaculangan secured the victory for UST with a powerful attack that concluded the match.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles will face the National University Bulldogs (2-1) and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (1-3) tomorrow at 10 AM and 2 PM, respectively, at the SM Sands by the Bay in Pasay City.