THE ATENEO Blue Eagles cruised past the Adamson (AdU) Soaring Falcons in four sets, 25-21, 19-25, 25-16, 25-17, to capture their sixth University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 victory. The match was held earlier today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
The result brings Ateneo’s win-loss record to 6-3, currently placing them at solo third in the Men’s Volleyball tournament.
Veteran winger Jian Salarzon was named Player of the Game after contributing 19 points off 17 attacks and two blocks. Adding to this well-rounded performance, Salarzon also bagged eight excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions. Meanwhile, UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) frontrunner Kennedy Batas boosted his MVP bid with 20 points of his own, coming from 17 attacks, two blocks, and an ace.
The Blue Eagles entered the taraflex with unwavering energy, delivering perfectly-calculated plays in the opening sequences highlighted by back-to-back kills, 4-0. The Katipunan-based squad capitalized on AdU’s defensive lapses, with Amil Pacinio spearheading dominance from the right wing, 5-1.
With an influx of attack errors from Adamson, the Blue and White maximized their masterful tactics from all wings of the court. Manning the frontline were Jetlee Gopio and Batas manned the frontline, who delivered strategic drop balls to keep their advantage at 11-9.
In an attempt to challenge the Blue Eagles’ momentum, the Soaring Falcons polished their defensive schemes, allowing them to manufacture successful combination plays and catch up, 17-18. Following Ricardo Obeda’s critical block against Salarzon, the San Marcelino-based team managed to equalize with the Blue Eagles at 19-all.
The backend of the set then saw the Blue and White extend their offensive leg to regain the lead. Fueled by Batas and Pacinio’s formidable performance in the frontline, the Blue Eagles took their first set of the match, 25-21.
Despite their stellar showing in the first set, the Blue Eagles fell to an early disadvantage in the second frame as a result of their consecutive defensive lapses, 1-4. To cut the deficit, Brian Castro and Salarzon responded with daunting quick attacks and off-the-block kills, 3-4.
With the Blue Eagles regaining their momentum, the Soaring Falcons quickly responded with their aggressive attack front to challenge Ateneo’s steadying pace. Banking on the Katipunan-based unit’s defensive lapses, AdU connected on their opportunities to run combination plays that extended their lead, 8-4.
Solidifying Adamson’s upper hand position, Marc Paulino broke through the Blue and White towers with an off-the-block attack to keep their four-point advantage, 10-6. Eager to close the gap, Gopio and Batas quickly answered with their commanding attacks off combination plays, 9-12.
While succeeding sequences saw both teams in a back-and-forth kill contest, 15-18, the influx of defensive lapses from the Blue and White shaped the closing stages of the set, posing challenges for Ateneo to cut through the deficit, 18-22. Regardless of the Blue Eagle’s efforts to regain momentum, AdU’s Mark Coguimbal hammered home the clincher to hand the Soaring Falcons the second set, 25-19.
Undeterred by their second-set slump, the Blue Eagles jumped out to an 8-4 advantage to start the third set via an offensive flurry from Batas, Salarzon, and Pacinio. Gopio and Salarzon kept this fiery scoring spree up for their squad, as the veteran duo overwhelmed Adamson with consecutive block points, 13-8.
The Katipunan-based unit continued to pile on the sluggish Soaring Falcon defense, with two-straight cross-court kills from Pacinio and another Gopio rejection, to extend Ateneo’s lead to double digits, 20-9. Salarzon placed the cherry on top of this dominant set victory with two statement spikes, 25-16.
Looking to close out the Soaring Falcons in fashion, the Blue Eagles once again sprinted to a quick lead at the start of the fourth frame, with Batas nabbing three-straight kills to secure an 8-3 cushion for his squad. In contrast to the previous set, Ateneo encountered struggles on the defensive end, allowing for a 4-2 run by Adamson that cut their lead to three, 10-7.
The Loyola Heights-based squad continued to struggle, suffering multiple service errors at the midpoint of the set, 18-16. However, in a great display of discipline and leadership, Pacinio ended Adamson’s dreams of a comeback after the veteran unleashed a service ace and two off-the-block kills, 24-16. An error from a Soaring Falcon then handed the Blue Eagles their sixth win of the season, 25-17.
The Blue Eagles aim to capture their fourth-straight win against the De La Salle Green Spikers on Wednesday, April 2, at 9:00 AM at the same venue as today’s contest.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Batas – 20, Salarzon – 19, Pacinio – 15, Castro – 7, Gopio – 6, Gutierrez – 3
AdU (1): Aguilar – 16, Coguimbal – 8, Gutierrez – 7, Obeda – 5, Paulino – 5, Gay – 3
Set scores:
Ateneo-AdU: 25-21, 19-25, 25-16, 25-17
Current Standings (W-L):
- FEU Tamaraws (9-0)
- NU Bulldogs (7-2)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (6-3)
- UST Golden Spikers (5-4)
- DLSU Green Spikers (5-4)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-7)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-7)
- UE Red Warriors (0-9)
