THE ATENEO Men’s Volleyball Team opened the second round of eliminations with a win against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Spikers, 26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 16-25, 15-9. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 match was held earlier today, March 21, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
This victory positions the Blue Eagles at fourth place with a 4-4 win-loss record.
Leading the way for the Blue and White was Season 87 Most Valuable Player Kennedy Batas, contributing 19 points off 17 attacks, one block, and an ace. Meanwhile, Team Captain Jian Salarzon followed suit with 14 conversions.
The Blue Eagles got off to a rocky start as they fell victim to their own service errors, 1-3. Determined to inject offensive rhythm, Salarzon dispatched a cross-court kill, 2-3. Adding on to Ateneo’s attacking effort, Batas then launched a clever off-the-block hit to put his team in the driver’s seat, 7-6. Sensing momentum, Salarzon contributed a quick left pin maneuver to keep UST at bay, 10-9.
Both squads engaged in a gusty back-and-forth affair midway through the opening frame, 12-12. Remaining composed, Amil Pacinio curated a crafty play off of Enzo Gutierrez’s playmaking to keep the Blue Eagles within striking distance, 13-14. Despite this, Ateneo found themselves at a three-point deficit as Josh Ybañez began to find his stride, 13-16. Responding decisively, Salarzon converted back-to-back hits to regain the advantage for Ateneo, 17-16. Regardless, Ateneo once again struggled to contain Ybañez’s offensive as the Golden Spiker’s attack put the game at a standstill, 18-18.
Intent on taking the set, Rodge Alejos generated a quick drop from the middle at 22-21. Displaying composure, Batas glided past UST’s blockade to maintain a one-point cushion, 23-22. Showcasing his defensive acumen, Gutierrez then denied Ybañez at the net to put Ateneo at set point, 24-23. Continuing his left-wing brilliance, Salarzon dispatched a vicious kill to secure the frame for the Blue and White, 26-24.
As Ateneo gained the edge, the Golden Spikers called two early challenges in the second frame to break the Blue Eagles’ momentum. Given this, the Blue and White allowed UST a point through their foot fault, 1-1. Salarzon and Alejos then rose to the occasion, contributing respective conversions for a three-point lead, 7-4.
With Joncriz Ayco committing a service error, the Blue and White ascended further, 11-5. Batas continued building on the advantage with a drop ball, 14-6. Despite Ateneo’s emerging offense, UST’s Trevor Valera denied Batas entry and narrowed the Blue Eagles’ lead down to 16-8. Regardless of the comfortable margin, Ateneo endured a 5-0 run from the Gold and Black, courtesy of Al Bukhanie Sali, 18-13.
Looking to seal the deal, Batas powered an off-the-block kill, 21-15. Nevertheless, the Katipunan-based squad fell prey to Valera’s quick attack, letting UST catch up at 23-17. Still, the Blue Eagles managed to pull through with Golden Spiker Ybañez committing an error, 25-18.
The opening sequences of the third canto saw a neck-and-neck exchange between both squads, 2-2. Carving space down the middle, Castro delivered consecutive kills to put Ateneo ahead at 4-2. Sustaining the effort, Batas then contributed a left pin conversion to maintain the lead 8-7. Despite this, Ateneo could not keep up with Ybanez’s actions as the Golden Spiker’s left wing hit put the frame at a deadlock, 10-10.
Desperate to settle in the game, Batas rivaled UST’s growing momentum with his timely conversions, 13-14. However, the Blue Eagles were unable to manage their growing haul of errors, which prompted a quick drop from Alejos to stop Ateneo’s cold spell, 15-18. Salarzon then followed with a cross-court bomb to keep Ateneo within the set, 17-20.
The Blue Eagles found themselves grasping for momentum down the wire as they were unable to withstand Ybañez’s outburst, 20-23. With rhythm completely on their adversary’s side, Ateneo surrendered the frame after failing to resist Sali’s decisive maneuver, 22-25.
Determined to reclaim the upper hand, Salarzon converted an off-the-block kill to commence the fourth canto, 1-0. However, Ateneo succumbed to Golden Spiker Ybañez’s down-the-line attack, letting UST cut their lead to one, 3-2.
With the Golden Spikers taking the advantage, Castro crafted an off-the-block hit to cut the deficit, 4-5. However, Ateneo could not contain De Vega’s counterattack, falling behind at 6-7. The injury further deepened as the Blue and White yielded to Valera’s single block, 6-11.
Through Valera’s net touch, the Blue Eagles ended UST’s 4-0 run, 7-13. Regardless, Ateneo’s misreception led to a conversion by Golden Spiker Vryvin Catinsag, making the Blue Eagles grapple at 8-16. To compensate, Salarzon dropped a cross-court attack, 10-18.
With a nine-point cushion, Alejos contributed a down-the-line hit in an effort to keep the game alive, 12-20. However, Miguel Yu’s ball went out, digging Ateneo further for a double-digit gap at 13-23. Remaining driven, Castro towered over UST with a single block at 16-23. In spite of this, another Castro attack went long and handed the Golden Spikers the fourth frame, 16-25.
In a similar tale to the previous sets, both squads found themselves jousting for control early in the deciding frame, 2-2. Eager to get ahead, Pacinio powered an immediate 3-0 blitz to give the Blue Eagles a narrow lead, 5-2. Replicating his teammate’s barrage, Batas contributed a kill block and an emphatic crosscourt kill to increase Ateneo’s advantage, 8-4.
Despite their promising surge, the Blue Eagles found themselves overwhelmed by Valera and Ybanez’s quick deliveries, 11-7. However, Ateneo was quick to negate UST’s impending run as Salarzon continued to supply the points from the left wing, 12-8.
With UST struggling to execute their service aces, the Blue Eagles surged to a comfortable five-point lead late in the canto, 14-9. Capitalizing on the Golden Spikers’ late-game woes, Salarzon then executed a flawless service ace to claim the match in favor of the Blue and White, 15-9.
Eager to continue their winning ways, the Blue Eagles will face the Adamson University Soaring Falcons on Wednesday, March 25, at 11:00 AM in the same venue.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Batas – 19, Salarzon – 16, Pacinio – 13, Castro – 8, Alejos – 7, Atendido – 1
UST (2): Ybañez – 21, Sali – 13, Valera – 9, De Vega – 8 Catinsag – 6, Ayco – 5, Macam – 3, Avila – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-UST: 26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 16-25, 15-9
Current Standings (W-L):
- FEU Tamaraws (8-0)
- NU Bulldogs (6-2)
- UST Golden Spikers (5-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (4-4)
- DLSU Green Spikers (4-4)
- UP Fighting Maroons (2-6)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-6)
- UE Red Warriors (1-7)
