FUELED BY their impressive showing yesterday at the Jesuit Athletic Meet (JAM) 2025, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles continued their dominant run in the second day of the tournament.
Participating teams in the events were Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU), Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU), Ateneo de Zamboanga University, and Xavier University–Ateneo de Cagayan.
With the Blue Eagles’ dominance in the meet’s kickstarters, the Katipunan-based team is still undefeated across all six events on day two. The matches were held earlier today at both the Ateneo Senior High School Formation and Learning Center Building and the Moro Lorenzo Field.
Men’s Basketball vs AdNU
The multiple events of day two kicked off with the Ateneo Men’s Basketball Team (AMBT) taking on the AdNU Golden Knights.
Despite a sluggish start to the game, Kyle Gamber’s back-to-back triples steered Ateneo’s struggling offense to jump out to a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Showing resistance, the Naga-based squad outscored the host team 12-5 in the second period. The Blue Eagles suffered from piling turnovers to which the Golden Knights capitalized on, cutting the deficit to two at halftime, 18-16.
Picking up their energy in the second half, the Katipunan-based unit manufactured a 12-2 run to take a decisive 30-18 lead. Baskets from Kymani Ladi, Thirdy Ebdane, and Matt De Luna allowed the Blue Eagles to find their rhythm and enter the final period with a 39-26 advantage.
The Golden Knights would once again launch a comeback attempt after unleashing nine-straight points to start the fourth quarter, 35-39. However, Ebdane displayed his two-way capabilities, first draining a triple then securing a steal and fastbreak layup to create separation, 44-35.
While the visiting squad remained resilient in the final minutes of the match, their efforts would be in vain as the Blue Eagles continued to convert on long-distance shots. Banking on a 39-point offensive explosion in the second half, the AMBT claimed their second victory of the tournament, 58-45.
Men’s Volleyball vs AdNU
On the other side of the court, the Ateneo Men’s Volleyball Team (AMVT) faced off against Ateneo de Naga for a chance at capturing their second win in the tournament.
From the first set alone, the Loyola Heights-based squad dictated the game’s pace, holding a comfortable lead all throughout to clinch a commanding 25-10 set victory.
The same scenario played out in the second frame, with the Blue Eagles proving too much for their Naga-based counterparts. The relentless speed of the Blue Eagles’ attacks further shattered the AdNU’s defense, quickly securing a 25-14 set victory.
With the win, the AMVT once again remained undefeated with a perfect 2-0 record, not having dropped a single set in the entire event thus far.
Women’s 3×3 Basketball vs AdDU
Following a victory in their lone event from yesterday, the Ateneo Women’s 3×3 Basketball Team kicked off their day’s events against the AdDU Blue Knights. The Blue Eagles displayed consistency and grit, taking the game in a 21-6 blowout.
The core of Phia Cruza, Kat Salgado, Katelyn Cancio, and Gracie Batongbakal jumped out and overwhelmed the Davao-based quartet to take a commanding 11-2 lead to start the contest.
Despite the Blue Knights showing signs of life towards the end, an offensive barrage led by Cruza and Cancio propelled the Blue Eagles to victory, 21-6.
Women’s 3×3 Basketball vs AdNU
Off the heels of their previous win, the Blue Eagles returned to finish the day undefeated in their match against the AdNU Blue Knights. Lauren Lopez joined the trio of Cruza, Salgado, and Cancio to round out the lineup.
Unlike their earlier matchup, the Blue Eagles’ defense faltered to start the contest. A pair of three-pointers sent the Katipunan-based squad to a 3-4 deficit within the opening timeframe.
However, the defensive effort of Salgado turned the tides of the contest, stopping the offensive production of the Blue Knights at the rim. The Blue Eagle duo of Cruza and Lopez then cracked the game open, scoring nine unanswered points to put the game at 12-5.
The Blue Knights managed to muster up a run in the closing moments of the contest, but the Blue Eagles’ proved to be too much as they put the match to rest, 21-10.
Following this victory, the Blue Eagles stand at a flawless 3-0 record, with a bout against Xavier University tomorrow, for a chance to go undefeated in the elimination round.
Men’s Football vs AdDU
Back on the Moro Lorenzo Field, the Ateneo Men’s Football Team (AMFT) showcased their mastery on the pitch against the AdDU Blue Knights, 6-0.
The Blue Eagles got off to a strong start after consecutive goals from Co-captain Jet Dela Cruz at the third and 13th minute mark. Following the Blue Eagle’s brace, the Davao-based contingent tightened their defense to prevent Ateneo from scoring more goals in the first half.
In the final half, Joaquin Collo, who was awarded Man of the Match honors, shined with a total of three goals for a hat-trick at the 37th, 40th, and 57th minute, while Ranzo Aljama also delivered at the 43rd minute of the game.
This victory places AMFT at nine points on the table, one win away from sweeping the elimination round.
Women’s Volleyball vs. AdDU
In the closest bout yet in the tournament, the Ateneo Women’s Volleyball Team (AWVT) triumphed over the Ateneo de Davao Blue Knights in a thrilling three-set showdown. The win allowed the Blue Eagles to maintain their perfect record in spite of their otherwise turbulent showing on the court.
In the first set, the AWVT appeared to have the game under control after racing to an early 9-5 advantage off back-to-back service aces from Alexia Montoro. The Blue Eagles’ offensive streak then continued in the latter half, as the team ended the first frame at a 25-17 scoreline.
Even in the set loss, however, the Blue Knights matched AWVT’s intensity, winning pivotal long rallies. This strength from the Davao counterparts fully manifested in the second set—the same time when the Blue Eagles slowed down.
While their aggression remained the same, the Blue Eagles began committing several uncharacteristic mistakes, resulting in a 7-11 deficit midway in the set. The Blue Knights took advantage of their Katipunan-based counterparts’ poor form and used a series of drop attacks to eventually take the second set, 15-25.
Early into the third and final set, AdDU’s momentum on the defensive end seemed unstoppable, as the AWVT found themselves staring at a 0-4 hole. Despite this deficit, the Blue Eagles eventually crawled back into the game with a 6-2 run to tie the set at 6-6. The AWVT’s dominant performance carried on to the later stages of the frame, eventually culminating in an outstanding 25-15 set victory for their third straight match win.
Men’s Volleyball vs AdDU
Starting the tournament with an impressive stance of domination, the Blue Eagles owned the taraflex once again in their three-set thriller against Ateneo de Davao.
Opening the first set with his athletic prowess, Jetlee Gopio asserted his dominance with an off-the-block attack from the left wing, 2-1. Amil Pacinio and Gopio’s consecutive crosscourt kills then circled in a 12-4 advantage for the Blue Eagles. Solidifying their mark, a Gopio and Brian Castro combination play clinched the set victory, 25-12.
Despite their solid starter, the Katipunan-based team suffered from an influx of errors in the opening frames of the second set. However, with Pacinio’s crucial off-the-block attack, the team found its rhythm to keep the game close, 4-3.
After a timeout, the Blue Eagles kept their offensive flow intact to counter the equally aggressive defense front of the Davao-based team, 13-11. Yet, the critical moments of the set saw the Blue Eagles fall behind with defensive lapses, 19-21. Despite trailing closely behind the point tally, AdDU ultimately closed in on Jian Salarzon’s attack from the left wing to force a deciding third set, 25-23.
Determined to not let the game slip away, Castro rebuilt the Katipunan wall with a monster block to start the final frame, 1-0. Eager to stay afloat, Salarzon’s assertion on the service line gave the Blue Eagles a six-point advantage, 7-1. At the backend of the match, the Blue Eagles’ aggressive stance, capped off by Jeric Sendon’s power drop, ultimately handed them their hard-earned win, 25-11.
Men’s Basketball vs AdDU
Taking in lessons from their bout earlier in the morning, Ateneo de Manila wasted no time in making quick work of the squad from Ateneo de Davao, 95-61.
In contrast to their previous match, the Blue Eagles started the game scorching hot from beyond the arc. A barrage of Ebdane three-pointers spearheaded a dominant 26-10 first quarter for the Loyola Heights-based squad.
While the Blue Knights found more offensive success in the second period, the host team’s depth prevented them from cutting their deficit. Bench contributions from Andre Tan and Chance Carlton then helped the Blue Eagles build a sizable 49-34 lead at the half.
In similar fashion to the first half, the Katipunan-based brigade relied on their perimeter shooting to space the floor. Femi Edu and Ladi also utilized their size advantage, grabbing multiple second chance opportunities to extend their lead to 20 at the end of the third quarter, 67-47.
Capping off the AMBT’s all around brilliance, Michael Asoro made the most out of his fourth-quarter minutes by cashing in three treys as the Blue Eagles cruised to a 34-point win, 95-61.
Similar to their fellow Ateneo de Manila squads in JAM 2025, the Blue Eagles’ flawless performance places them at 3-0 in the tournament.
Women’s Futsal vs AdDU
The Ateneo Women’s Football Team (AWFT) aimed to carry their commanding form on the second day of the JAM 2025 Futsal tournament, manufacturing a complete shutout victory against the Blue Knights, 12-0.
This victory came off an outstanding hat-trick by Angely Alferez, who demonstrated a spectacular performance on both ends of the court.
In the first eight minutes of the match, the AWFT raced to an early 4-0 advantage after immediately blowing past AdDU’s defense. The Blue Eagles then continued to rub salt in the Blue Knights’ wound, scoring three more goals to end the first half 7-0.
Ateneo de Manila’s breathtaking offensive display resumed in the second half, as they pushed the lead to 9-0 just in the next five minutes. Astrid Ignacio carried the trend and brought this lead into the double digits with her blazing goal against the Blue Knights’ defenders.
Before the match ended, the Blue Eagles managed to secure two more goals, clinching their third consecutive win in JAM while not conceding a single goal to AdDU.
Women’s Futsal vs AdNU
Driven by their swift overload in the previous games, the Blue Eagles donned their athletic prowess in a matchup against the Golden Knights.
The opening half witnessed a battle of possession between the Blue and the Gold, with Soleil Schroth drawing first blood at the second minute, 1-0. Alferez and Jospher Halili followed suit by chalking up two more goals for the Blue Eagles at eighth and 12th minutes, respectively—handing the Katipunan-based squad a three-point advantage, 3-0.
In the 13th minute, the Golden Knights banked on defensive lapses from the Blue Eagles and turned these scoring opportunities into their first goal in the match, 1-3 However, Alferez immediately answered with a hat-trick to close the first half, 5-2.
Following through their first half successes, the Blue and White then tallied six goals by the 24th minute, 9-2. With Alferez as the leading scorer, Kristine Napoles’ brace, along with Traci Lim, Rae Tolentino, and Gabrielle Tuaño’s consistent showing, the Blue Eagles sealed the match with a one-sided 12-2 victory.
All participating Ateneo teams will return to the same venue tomorrow at 8:00 AM, January 31, for the penultimate day of the 2025 JAM.
Furthermore, 3×3 Women’s Basketball and Women’s Futsal will hold their Finals and Battle for Third games tomorrow.