THE ATENEO Men’s Volleyball Team (AMVT) were usurped by the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers in straight sets, 21-25, 29-31, 19-25, in the 2024 V-League Collegiate Challenge. The battle between rivals took place earlier today at the Paco Arena in the City of Manila.
This puts the Blue Eagles at a 1-3 win-loss record in the preliminary round of the preseason tournament.
Jian Salarzon led the Blue and White with 15 points, all on attacks, followed by Kennedy Batas who also scored nine markers on kills. Meanwhile, Team Captain Lance De Castro notched 14 excellent receptions, while Ejira Taluban came away with 10 perfect sets.
On the side of the Green and White, Player of the Game Rui Ventura garnered DLSU’s highest offensive output with 16 points on 14 offensive conversions and two denials, while Eugene Gloria copped 13 markers off 12 attacks and one block.
Green Spiker Ventura began the first set by chalking up the first two points to attain the lead, 2-0. Blue Eagle Kristofer Alejos then responded with a quick attack, but a net touch violation denied Ateneo the chance to equalize, 1-3.
Adamant to claw their way to a lead, Salarzon struck an off-the-block attack, while consecutive errors on DLSU’s side cut the Green Spikers’ advantage to 9-7. A 3-1 run by the Blue Eagles eventually forced a deadlock at 10-all, as Gloria committed a double contact violation for DLSU.
The rivals went back-and-forth until a down-the-line attack by Gloria and a block by Joshua Magalaman gave the Green Spikers the upper hand, 21-19. The Blue Eagles played catch up in hopes of achieving a deadlock, but back-to-back net faults from Taluban brought DLSU to set point, 24-21. A quick attack by Magalaman capped off the set win for the Green Spikers, 25-21.
Coming into the second canto, Ateneo’s rivals mustered a four-point advantage after excellent offensive sequences from Eric Layug and Chris Hernandez, 5-1. The Blue and White managed to cut down DLSU’s advantage, capped by Salarzon’s backrow attack, 7-5.
Despite this, La Salle continued to extend their lead after a Gloria block on Batas, 14-9. Following a timeout, the Blue Eagles rearranged their defensive patterns, highlighted by blocks on Hernandez to come back and tie the set, 18-18.
The Green Spikers managed to break free from the deadlock at the backend of the set, courtesy of a Magalaman block on the left wing, 23-20. Unwilling to surrender the set, Ateneo got off to a 4-1 run to achieve a deuce, 24-24.
Both teams then traded points in a back-and-forth affair until a service error by Salarzon shook Ateneo’s morale, 29-29. As La Salle maintained in-system, Magalaman marked Alejos’ quick attack to put them at set point, leading to a Ventura hit aimed at the Blue Eagles’ unguarded zone one to capture set two, 31-29.
Already down two sets to none, Ateneo opened the third frame by capitalizing on a communication error on the side of DLSU, 1-0. However, Gloria and Magalaman’s heroics on offensive kills quickly shifted the momentum back to La Salle, copping a six-point cushion, 9-3.
Unfazed by this offensive outburst, Salarzon continued to convert on attacks for the Katipunan-based squad, while Taluban blocked Gloria to reduce their rival’s lead, 5-9. Yet in a game of wits and tenacity, DLSU had already established their dominance with Ventura at the helm of their offense, 13-9.
With chemistry spelling the name of the victors as the match progressed, Ateneo constantly fell behind on a five-point deficit, 18-13. Although Salarzon and Alejos attempted to salvage the AMVT and extend the match to a fourth set, Green Spiker Yoyong Mendoza, who was fresh off the bench, capped off the match in favor of the Taft-based side, 25-19.
Inflamed to address their lapses, the AMVT will go up against the National University Bulldogs next Sunday, August 25, at 5:00 PM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (0): Salarzon – 15, Batas – 9, Gopio – 5, Alejos – 4, Reyes – 3, Taluban – 3
DLSU (3): Ventura – 16, Gloria – 13, Magalaman – 9, Hernandez – 6, Layug – 4, Mendoza – 4, Adajar – 3
Set scores:
Ateneo-DLSU: 21-25, 29-31, 19-25
Current Standings (W-L)
- DLSU Green Spikers (4-0)
- FEU Tamaraws (2-1)
- NU Bulldogs (2-1)
- UPHSD Altas (1-2)
- CSJL Knights (1-2)
- UST Golden Spikers (1-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-3)
- EAC Generals (0-3)
