DETERMINED TO keep their heads above water, the Ateneo Blue Eagles slid past the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers in another five-set win, 22-25, 25-19, 26-28, 25-20, 15-13, yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Blue Eagles now possess a 7-6 record, as they now hold the fourth spot in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 85 Men’s Volleyball Tournament standings.
Both teams struggled to secure a lead in the opening set, setting a suspenseful tone in the first canto, 4-4. Even with cold-blooded kills from Ateneo’s pivotal attackers in Ken Batas and Amil Pacinio, La Salle’s Noel Kampton pitched in deadly diagonal attacks as leverage for the Green Spikers to create a small deficit against the Blue Eagles, 10-12. Taft’s towers remained unshakable for the remainder of the set, but standout rookie Jian Salarzon relentlessly fired down furious back row attacks, nearly enough for Ateneo to draw level with La Salle, 21-22. Despite Batas’ continued headstrong presence on the attack front, DLSU’s formidable defense ultimately prevented the Blue Eagles from claiming the first set, 25-22.
[Set 2]
— Caitlin Bernal (@Ayin_TheGUIDON) April 23, 2023
Llenos successfully guards the net.
Ateneo 17 DLSU 18#UAAPVolleyball pic.twitter.com/HcoM4qGdG5
Opening the second canto, Ateneo struggled in receiving DLSU’s strong attacks, giving their opponent an early five-point cushion, 5-10. The Blue Eagles began closing the gap after the first technical timeout, with Abai Llenos stepping up to orchestrate a 5-2 run, contributing three points that challenged Kampton’s scoring spree, 10-12.
Finally gaining the needed momentum, the Blue Eagles converted points from DLSU’s errors, accompanied by a solid defensive showing below and on top of the net. The Green Spikers were unable to get their attacks through the Ateneo blockers and return opposing kills, allowing the Blue and White to tie the set at 18-all. Egie Magadia’s service ace closed out for the unstoppable Katipunan-based squad as they finished the set on a 13-2 run, fueling them to a 25-19 set win.
Charging into the third set with reclaimed momentum, the Blue Eagles rallied neck-and-neck with DLSU, 6-6. Despite an aggressive show of attacks by La Salle’s Kampton and Vince Maglinao, Ateneo sustained a two-point lead with unpredictable kills from Batas, 16-14. A series of timely service errors by the opposition then proved functional for Ateneo’s climb to its first set point advantage in the third canto, 24-22.
Though determined to swipe the set, the Blue Eagles were persistently hammered down by DLSU skipper Maglinao for two consecutive chances for the final point, 26-26. Taft’s monstrous back-to-back blocks shut down the Blue Eagles in the final rallies, eventually resulting in Ateneo dropping the set at 26-28.
Picking up from the third set loss, the Katipunan-based squad’s valiant efforts continued in the fourth, manifesting through an 8-2 scoring streak, 10-2. While they were momentarily slowed down by service errors and Kampton’s three consecutive kills, Salarzon was consistent in providing the team’s offense.
However, Ateneo fueled DLSU’s 7-3 run in the middle of the fourth set, this time with errors from the attack lines—three of which were by Batas. Despite late attempts to catch up to the Blue Eagles, the Green Spikers were unable to halt Salarzon who provided the last three points from varied kills, 25-20.
The fifth-set thriller opened with a vigorous exchange, as both teams were struggling to overtake one another for thelead, 6-6. In the face of DLSU’s unmoving defense, Batas continued to shine through for the Blue Eagles, consistently breaching loopholes in the Green Archers’ defense, 11-7. While the Green Spikers’ Maglinao unleashed unretrievable kills down Ateneo’s court, the Blue Eagles seized the game with unmatched offensive tactics, 15-13.
The Blue Eagles (7-6) will go head-to-head against the undefeated National University (NU) Bulldogs (12-0) on Saturday, April 29, 9:00 AM at the FilOil EcoOil Centre, in the City of San Juan.
Set Scores:
22-25, 25-19, 26-28, 25-20, 15-13
Box Scores:
Ateneo: Batas – 30, Salarzon – 21, Llenos – 12, Gopio – 9, Absin – 7, Pacinio – 3, Magadia – 2
DLSU: Kampton – 21, Ronquillo – 17, Maglinao – 17, Anima – 11, Del Pilar – 4, Marata – 1, Poquita – 1
