COMING OFF a five-set loss, the Ateneo Blue Eagles continue their University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 stint with another defeat against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Spikers, 23-25, 19-25, 21-25, earlier today at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
This puts the Blue Eagles at a 5-6 win-loss standing in the second elimination round at fifth place.
Jian Salarzon led the Blue and White with 10 points, but Ateneo failed to contain UST’s Josh Ybanez, who dropped 15 points against the Katipunan-based squad.
The starting set was also met with multiple errors from both teams. Although the Blue Eagle attackers managed to deliver successful kills, UST responded accordingly with their own offensive line led by Ybanez and Gboy De Vega, 16-16. The two squads traded leads until the latter half of the set, but the Golden Spikers eventually took control of the momentum after a loaded 1-2 play attack, 23-21. Attempting to catch up to their opponents, setter Egie Magadia set up Chad Absin for the quick attack, but the rookie was blocked by the net to end the set in UST’s favor, 23-25.
The Golden Spikers continued their aggressiveness in the second canto, led by Ybanez whose consistent offense created an early five-point cushion for his squad, 8-3. Regardless of UST’s run, the Blue Eagles remained unfazed throughout the set. Ateneo responded to their opponents’ impressive scoring streaks with their own rallies after the first technical timeout, cutting down the lead to one at 15-16.
However, unable to contain UST’s attacks and capitalize on their errors, Ateneo dug another five-point deficit, 17-22, which they were no longer able to come back from. Jett Gopio’s drop ball and service ace coming off the bench provided the Blue Eagles’ last two points before Ybanez finished the set with a kill from his favorite corner, 19-25.
[Set 2]
— Thea L. (@Thea_TheGUIDON) April 15, 2023
Ateneo patiently closes its score gap, courtesy of an unretrievable attack from Batas.
Ateneo 14 UST 16 #UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/SguosWOTDn
Despite Gopio and Ken Batas’ occasional kills, the Blue Eagles continued to trail UST due to their shaky floor defense, 8-9. Jian Salarzon stayed consistent on the left wing to gain a two-point lead, 12-10, but errors from the Katipunan-based squad proved costly towards the latter portion of the third set, 15-17. Team Captain Lance De Castro displayed impressive defense all throughout the set, but his defensive expertise was not enough to force a Set 4. The Golden Spikers then claimed the match with back-to-back kills at 21-25.
The Ateneo Blue Eagles’ next game will be against the Far Eastern University Tamaraw Spikers on Wednesday, April 19, at 10:00 AM at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
