THE ATENEO Men’s Volleyball Team dominated Taft rivals De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers in straight sets, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 match was held earlier today, April 11, at the Playtime Filoil Centre in the City of San Juan.
This victory situates the Blue Eagles at fourth place with a 7-5 win-loss record, leaving them one conquest away from cementing a Final Four comeback after seven years since Season 81.
Leading the Blue and White was Team Captain Jian Salarzon, converting 21 points off 19 attacks and a block. Meanwhile, opposite hitter Amil Pacinio followed suit with 13 markers.
The Blue Eagles got off to a sluggish start after failing to contain Eugene Gloria and Uriel Mendoza from the wings, 2-5. Ateneo’s shaky defense kept them at a deficit early on, 7-10.
While Gloria and Mendoza remained persistent, 9-12, Rodge Alejos’ quick attacks allowed the Blue Eagles to force a deadlock on a 4-1 run, 13-13. Matching each other’s pace, both teams unleashed varied attacks to prevent either side from gaining the upper hand, 20-all.
Seizing control of momentum, Pacinio marked Ateneo’s 3-0 blitz with a cross-court spike, 23-20. Outside Spiker Paolo Medino’s substitution proved to be pivotal as the rookie contributed crucial receptions and a service throughout the run. Despite DLSU’s Chris Hernandez attempts to halt the run, 22-24, Aimar Okeke executed an off-the-block hit to reward Ateneo with the first set, 25-22.
Determined to sustain their momentum, Okeke shut down Green Spiker Gloria’s down-the-line hit, 3-2. However, Salarzon failed to move past Nathaniel Bangit’s block, losing the lead at 5-6. The following moments then saw DLSU capitalizing on defense, which Pacinio responded to with a down-the-line attack, 7-9. Still, Ateneo’s struggle continued as Mendoza and Osseini Issa rejected Salarzon’s attack, 8-14.
The bleeding stopped for the Blue and White after Mendoza committed a double contact violation, 10-16. Using DLSU’s disrupted momentum, Salarzon converted an off-the-block kill at 14-17. This offensive surge by Ateneo’s skipper became key to catching up, as Salarzon’s consecutive hits closed the deficit to 18-19.
Set on taking the frame, Okeke unleashed a cross-court hit, 21-22. Maximizing DLSU Mendoza’s attack error, Pacinio forged a decisive down-the-line conversion for a 25-23 set output.
Eager to shift the tide, Mendoza and Issa led the Green Spikers in another strong set start, 4-2. Refusing to fall behind, Okeke launched a pipe attack, while Salarzon capitalized on DLSU’s poor reception with two consecutive kills to take the lead, 6-4.
With both teams dead set on their Final Four goals, outside Spikers Salarzon and Pacinio exchanged kills with Gloria and Mendoza, 13-all. The Blue Eagles’ improved defense significantly controlled the increasing attacking tempo as Pacinio and Brian Castro collected consecutive blocks, 15-13. As the heated exchange continued, veteran libero Lance De Castro established stability in saving possessions, allowing his spikers to flourish, 18-17.
Despite relentless offense from both sides, errors began to pile up, leading to another 20-20 deadlock. From here, Okeke and Salarzon took over on another 3-0 run to the delight of the Ateneo crowd, 23-20. Following Gloria’s attack and Pacinio’s error, 23-22, Salarzon delivered a down-the-line spike to establish match point, 24-22. Gloria’s backrow attack then sailed outside, gifting the Blue Eagles the sweep, 25-22.
Reflecting on their momentous breakthrough, Head Coach Vince Mangulabnan commended his team, highlighting their relentless drive to change the course of their season.
“Sobrang proud ako…nakita naman natin kanina na ginusto talaga nila [manalo]” (I am very proud…we just saw earlier how they were very determined to win), Mangulabnan stated.
One win away from entering the Final Four, the Blue Eagles will face the University of the East Red Warriors on Saturday, April 18, at 9:00 AM in the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion.
Box scores:
Ateneo (3): Salaron – 21, Pacinio – 13, Okeke – 12, Alejos – 4, Castro – 3, Gutierrez – 2, Medino – 1
DLSU (0): Mendoza – 13, Gloria – 10, Hernandez – 8, Ousseini – 8, Layug – 4,
Set scores: 25-22, 25-23, 25-22
Ateneo-DLSU: 3-0
Current Standings (W-L):
- FEU Tamaraws (10-1)
- NU Bulldogs (9-2)
- UST Golden Spikers (7-4)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (7-5)
- DLSU Green Spikers (5-7)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-8)
- UE Red Warriors (2-9)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-9)
