THE ATENEO Blue Eagles soar back onto the win column, overpowering the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons with a commanding performance in a four-chapter clash, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19. The match was held earlier today at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Kennedy Batas and Jian Salarzon led the charge for Ateneo with 17 points each, while Amil Pacinio added 15 to power the Blue Eagles to victory. With Brian Castro and Jetlee Gopio also breaking into double figures at 12 and 11 markers respectively, Ateneo’s balanced firepower proved decisive.
On the other side, Angelo Lagando spearheaded UP’s offense with 14 points, while Daniel Nicolas and Olayemi Raheem chipped in 11 apiece.
Both teams traded early points on the floor, with Ateneo showcasing strong net defense and aggressive attacks. Batas fired a powerful spike to keep Ateneo level, but service errors and a swift UP attack allowed their opponents to take the lead, 9-7.
Struggling to gain points from the front row, the Blue Eagles’ costly errors allowed the Fighting Maroons to build up a four-point lead, 16-12. However, Batas broke the scoring drought with another crucial hit, igniting Ateneo’s comeback with a 5-0 run. With three consecutive kill blocks that cut the deficit to one, Ateneo capitalized on their defensive momentum to even the score, 20-20.
The Blue Eagles further asserted their presence with dominant blocking, keeping the set within reach. Salarzon powered through UP’s defense with sharp spikes and clutch attacks to level the board at 23-all. However, the Diliman squad held their ground and delivered a decisive kill block, sealing the first set in their favor, 25-23.
Looking to turn the tides, the Blue and White seized early control of the second set, establishing a comfortable lead with powerful attacks and solid net defense. With Salarzon and Pacinio executing a variety of kills, UP’s errors compounded their struggles, fueling Ateneo’s 6-2 lead.
Batas and Gopio further powered the squad’s offensive onslaught, delivering commanding swings and well-timed attacks to stretch the Blue and White’s advantage, 11-3. Despite UP’s attempts to claw back, Ateneo proved quick in dictating play at the net, 12-4.
The Fighting Maroons then struggled to contain Ateneo’s dynamic offense, repeatedly falling prey to the Blue and White’s quick attacks. In the final exchanges, the Blue Eagles surged to set point, leaving no room for a UP comeback. A costly service error from the other side then put the finishing touch on Ateneo’s breakaway second frame, 25-18.
Despite the convincing second-set victory, the Blue Eagles traded blows with the Fighting Maroons, with an Enzo Gutierrez drop shot giving Ateneo a narrow 7-6 lead to start the third set. Picking up the pace, Ateneo sprinted to an 8-2 run courtesy of Salarzon’s kills and rookie Castro’s blocking prowess, 15-8.
Gopio carried the load for the Loyola Heights-based unit at the midpoint, denying an Olayemi Raheem attack to maintain his squad’s lead, 19-13. However, due to a flurry of Ateneo errors and Raheem’s powerful strikes, the Blue Eagles surrendered a 7-2 run to the Fighting Maroons that cut their advantage to just one, 21-20. Righting the ship was veteran Batas, who nabbed a statement block point against Raheem to take the set, 25-22.
Entering the fourth set with renewed vigor, Ateneo took the first four points of the canto with a combination of Salarzon attacks and UP errors, 4-0. However, the Blue Eagles struggled on the defensive end, giving up a 10-6 rally in favor of the Fighting Maroons that tied the set at 10-all.
Asserting much needed poise, veterans Pacinio and Gopio steered a 9-4 run of their own to reclaim the momentum for Ateneo, 19-14. Undeterred by a short-lived comeback attempt by UP, Batas and Gutierrez secured victory for the Blue Eagles with a frontline kill and an off-the-block hit, 25-19.
The Blue Eagles will look to extend their winning stretch against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Sunday, March 2, at 11:00 AM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Batas – 17, Salarzon – 17, Pacinio – 15, Castro – 12, Gopio – 11, Gutierrez – 3
UP (1): Lagando – 14, Raheem – 11, Nicolas – 11, Francisco – 5, Lipata – 3, Clemente – 2, Castrodes – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-UP: 23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19
Current Standings (W/L)
- FEU Tamaraws (3-0)
- NU Bulldogs (2-1)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (2-1)
- UST Golden Spikers (1-1)
- DLSU Green Spikers (1-1)
- UP Fighting Maroons (1-2)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (0-2)
- UE Red Warriors (0-2)
