THE ATENEO Blue Eagles absorbed their first defeat of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87, falling to the National University (NU) Bulldogs in four tightly-contested sets, 25-23, 24-26, 25-27, 27-29. The contest was held earlier today at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
Kennedy Batas led all scorers on both sides with 21 points, all off attacks. Brian Castro and Jian Salarzon also chipped in 12 markers apiece.
On the other hand, Leo Ordiales lifted the Blue and Gold with 14 points, while Rwenzmel Taguibolos tallied 13 markers for the Bulldogs.
Ateneo boasted an early advantage over NU courtesy of attacking efforts from Batas and Castro, 8-5. The Blue Eagles maintained the lead midway through the set, thanks to a Jettlee Gopio block and an NU attack error, establishing a 15-11 margin in favor of the Blue and White.
This upward momentum, however, would not last as a myriad of service and attack errors led the Katipunan-based squad to surrender a 6-0 run to NU, 15-17. Refusing to back down, the Blue Eagles continued to challenge the four-time defending champions, entering five separate deadlocks with the Bulldogs, 22-22. Ultimately, an NU net error handed the Blue Eagles the first set win, 25-23.
Despite entering the second set with renewed confidence, the Blue Eagles struggled to contain NU’s offense, dropping to a 1-4 deficit early on. Salarzon led his squad back into the contest with his off-the-block hit to cap off a 10-7 run and tie at 11-all.
Much like the set before, both units went back and forth, with neither team obtaining a lead more than three, 17-15. An emphatic kill from Batas and a service ace from Salarzon would bring the set to a 21-all standstill. Even with Batas’ attacking prowess extending the set, the Blue Eagles conceded two straight points on defensive lapses to the Bulldogs, giving up the second frame, 24-26.
Looking to regain their winning stride, the Blue Eagles looked revitalized in the third set, establishing an early lead, 4-2. Solid defense proved to be a key strength for the Katipunan-based squad in the opening sequences, with Enzo Gutierrez and Salarzon providing two back-to-back blocks to extend the lead to 10-8.
Despite neither side taking a huge advantage, the Blue Eagles remained steadfast in their search for victory, holding a two-point lead halfway through the set, 15-13. Continuing to build upon their defensive showing earlier on in the match, Amil Pacinio came up big to provide a crucial block point, giving Ateneo their biggest lead of the set, 19-15.
Inching ever closer to a 2-1 set lead, the Katipunan-based squad scored a crucial point through a combination of saves and powerful Batas attacks to put them at set point, 24-20. However, the Bulldogs were keen to stay in the frame, going on a 3-0 run to tie the game, 24-24. Despite maintaining the lead throughout the set, the Blue Eagles failed to capitalize on their advantage, 25-27.
Determined to push the match to a decider, the Blue and White entered the fourth set with unwavering energy, backed behind key attacks from Salarzon and stout floor defense from Lance De Castro. Costly errors from both teams also netted the Blue Eagles an early lead to the set, 8-6.
Both teams traded blows as the match continued, with both squads failing to create any huge separation. Batas led the way for the Blue Eagles, providing key spikes to hammer the Bulldogs’ defense as Ateneo eked out a narrow lead halfway into the set, 15-13. However, the reigning champions refused to remain silent, going on a quick 5-0 run to take the lead, 18-15, forcing a timeout from the Blue and White.
In the closing stages of the set, Batas continued where he left off, firing lethal blows in combination with steadfast net defense from Gopio and Gutierrez to tie the game, 23-23. Determined to keep the Blue Eagles in the match, Batas continued to take over in the clutch, providing key attacks to tie the game once more, 27-27. However, NU’s fiery offense proved to be deadly, as the Blue and White eventually fell to the unrelenting pressure, capping off the match in favor of the Bulldogs, 27-29.
Looking to get back in the win column, the Blue and White will face the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Sunday, February 23, at 10:00 AM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (1) – Batas – 21, Salarzon – 12, Castro – 12, Pacinio – 8, Gopio – 7, Gutierrez – 5, Reyes – 0, De Castro – 0, Yu – 0, Almadro – 0
NU (3) – Ordiales – 14, Tagubolos – 13, Mukaba – 10, Disquitado – 7, Aringo – 6 Buddin – 5, Ancheta – 4, Abanilla – 2, Hernandez – 0, Gallego – 0, Gapultos – 0
Set scores:
Ateneo-NU: 25-23, 24-26, 25-27, 27-29
Current Standings
- NU Bulldogs (2-0)
- FEU Tamaraws (1-0)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (1-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-0)
- UE Red Warriors (0-1)
- UST Golden Spikers (0-1)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (0-1)
- DLSU Green Spikers (0-1)
