BREAKING PAST their underwhelming openers in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 Beach Volleyball tournament, the Ateneo Blue Eagles garnered their first victories on the second day of competition.

After failing to get their first win yesterday against the National University Bulldogs, the Men’s Beach Volleyball Team opened their set of matches today with another loss against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tiger Sands. However, the Blue Eagles quickly recovered with a sweep against the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors.

Meanwhile, following yesterday’s two straight losses, the Women’s Beach Volleyball Team emerged victorious in a tight two-set affair against rivals De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers.

The games were held earlier today at the Sands at SM by the Bay in Pasay City. 

Men’s match vs. UST

In the heat of the opening set of the day, an influx of defensive lapses plunged the Blue and White to an early four-point deficit as UST challenged them with their aggressive attack front, 3-7.

Despite facing adversity, JM Yu countered the Tiger Sands’ offense with his relentless ball kill, kickstarting a quick comeback attempt for the Katipunan-based duo. A long rally midway through the frame showed the Blue Eagles’ athletic prowess, but a chance ball error cost the Blue and White the point, 9-14.

Yu continued to answer UST’s effective production with off-the-block attacks, 12-18. Despite the Blue and White’s determined attempts to storm back into the set, they ultimately fell to Che Gupiteo and Dominic Gabito’s solid net coverage, 13-21.

Opening the second set with reinforced momentum, Yu and team captain Amil Pacinio immediately powered a 1-2 play to draw first blood, 1-0. Both players capitalized on their heightened team synergy to challenge their championship-caliber foes on offense, tying the set at 5-all after Pacinio’s power kill from the right wing.

Despite their high activity at the start of the second set, the Blue Eagles committed a string of defensive lapses, which UST took advantage of to take over the lead, 7-10.

The Blue Eagles’ collective team efforts allowed them to tie the game anew at the midpoint of the frame, 14-all. Pacinio’s power attacks kept the Katipunan-based unit within range, even leveling the crucial set at 18-apiece. However, the closing sequences of the match saw both Blue Eagles buckle under pressure, ultimately bowing to the Tiger Sands, 21-19.

Women’s match vs. DLSU

The heated rivalry bout between the Blue Eagles and the Lady Spikers instantly warmed the Pasay sands, with the Blue Eagles throwing the first haymaker courtesy of Liz Lomocso’s service ace, 1-0. Ateneo further established their momentum with powerful kills from Lomocso, but the Lady Spikers retaliated with consecutive service aces by Sofia Sindayag to take a 6-4 lead.

The Blue and White then banked on their excellent ball reception to fuel their in-court rhythm and trim their deficit against the Taft-based team, 6-8. However, Ateneo committed a string of offensive lapses, allowing the DLSU advantage to swell to 12-7 midway through the set.

Grydelle Matibag’s consistent showing in the service line eventually cut Ateneo’s disadvantage to just two, 10-12. Followed by Lomocso’s free-flowing offensive rhythm, the Blue Eagles remained within DLSU’s striking distance, 14-15.

The Blue and White tandem ultimately retook control thanks to their bolstered skill and rapport, claiming an 18-16 lead at the set’s critical juncture. The Blue Eagles’ unrelenting fight paid dividends in the final exchanges of the canto, as their gutsy performance handed them a hard-fought 22-20 set victory.

Aiming to earn their first win of the young season, the Blue Eagles leaned on powerful offense with Matibag and Lomocso delivering booming attacks, 3-3. Determined to force a deciding third set, the Lady Spikers turned the pressure up to disrupt the Blue and White’s tempo and force the Katipunan-based unit to commit errors, 6-10. DLSU’s super senior Sophia Sindayen further made life difficult for the Atenean tandem after dishing out a service ace to keep her squad ahead, 13-10.

On the comeback trail, Matibag and Lomocso upped their net defense to force the Lady Spikers to commit multiple violations, allowing Ateneo to take the lead capped off by Lomocso’s pivotal block, 16-15.

Continuing her partner’s efforts, Matibag unleashed three successive knuckle shots to bring Ateneo to match point and give her squad their biggest lead of the set, 20-18. Eager to immediately end the match, Lomocso delivered a decisive service ace to seal Ateneo’s first win in Season 87 in thrilling fashion, 21-18.

Men’s match vs. UE

Striving to improve on their 0-2 record, the Loyola Heights-based squad came alive in their second game of the day. Pacinio and Yu recalibrated their attacking approach to adjust to UE’s formidable net blocking, becoming more aggressive at the tape of the net, 6-4. Building on their aggressive offense, Yu continued to lead the way for the Blue Eagles, producing a hammer and a service ace to extend Ateneo’s lead, 11-5.

Looking to close the first set in dominant fashion, Pacinio attacked the Red Warriors’ poor floor coverage with back-to-back service aces, further stretching the Ateneo lead to 15-6.

Hoping to find the counter to the Blue Eagle onslaught, UE’s Allan Buensalida came out of the technical timeout with renewed spirit, unleashing a service ace to halt the Ateneo run. Ceasing any hope for a UE comeback, however, the Blue Eagles dug deep into their offensive playbook, closing out the set at 21-9 after Yu’s explosive spike.

The Ateneo tandem showed no signs of slowing down in the second frame of the contest, with Yu particularly going on a personal five-point run off a towering block, 5-1. Pacinio pushed the game further out of UE’s reach, attacking with a variety of down-the-line hits and 1-2 plays to extend the Blue Eagles’ lead, 10-3. Bringing their advantage to double digits at 15-5, the veteran team captain decisively smashed a ball off a beautiful back set from Yu.

Despite facing a seemingly insurmountable lead, Red Warrior Buensalida continued to valiantly fight for the Recto-based tandem, using his smarts to tip the ball over the net and score his second point of the set, 7-16.

Hungry to capture their first win of the season, however, Yu and Pacinio showcased their chemistry to close out the game, with a Pacinio cross-court kill and a Yu service ace securing the Blue Eagles’ resounding victory, 21-7.

The Men’s and Women’s Teams’ respective games tomorrow against DLSU and the University of the Philippines (UP) will be postponed to a later date due to the anticipated effects of Super Typhoon Pepito.

The Men’s Volleyball Team will look to capture their second and third wins of Season 87 in their matchups against UP at 7:45 AM and Adamson University at 4:15 PM on November 23.

Meanwhile, the Women’s Volleyball Team will seek to carry their momentum on the same date as they face Far Eastern University at 10:00 AM and National University at 2:45 PM. All games will still be held at the same venue.

Set Scores:

Men’s Division:

Ateneo vs UST: 13-21, 19-21

Ateneo vs UE: 21-9, 21-7

Women’s Division:

Ateneo vs DLSU: 22-20, 21-19