In line with the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 Men’s Volleyball tournament, this article will analyze the state of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in their bid to make their sixth straight finals appearance.

Regular season recap

AFTER THE departure of five-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Marck Espejo, five-time best setter Ish Polvorosa, as well as team captain and defensive specialist Karl Baysa, the Blue Eagles finished the regular season with their worst record, 10-4,  since Season 75 when they finished with a 3-11 slate. From Season 76 to 80, spanning the five year long careers of the three players, the Blue Eagles didn’t lose more than four games in the elimination round.

In the first round, the Katipunan-based squad lost in five sets to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and Far Eastern University (FEU), and in straight sets to National University (NU). The second round turned out much better, though, as the Blue and White avenged their losses to UST and FEU but came up short against defending champions NU. All of Ateneo’s wins in both the first and second rounds against the rest of the league came either in three or four sets.  They enter the final four as the third seed and will face FEU who hold a twice-to-beat advantage.

New starters

To replace the seniors, wing spikers Ron Medalla and John Rivera are now a permanent part of the starting lineup while Season 79 Finals MVP Tony Koyfman makes a return to the UAAP. Second setter Egie Magadia was given the reins to the offense with the departure of Polvorosa, while Season 80 Rookie of the Year Bok Morado will now play the role of second setter.

Magadia, Rivera, and Medalla have played supporting roles for a number of seasons with the occasional start here and there. Rivera would often be subbed in for Baysa when extra firepower was needed, while Medalla took on a bigger role when Koyfman had to sit out Season 80 to focus on academics.

Another major change in the lineup is the promotion of Egie Magadia, who played as Polvorosa’s substitute for most of his career, to the primary setter role. For the regular season, Magadia averaged 8.13 excellent sets per set, enough to assure him of the best setter award as NU’s Joshua Retamar only averaged 7.4 while FEU’s Owen Suarez averaged 6.58. The trend of top-notch Atenean setters continues as this will be the sixth straight season wherein the best setter award will go to a Blue Eagle.

One other major addition is Season 79 Finals MVP Tony Koyfman who will be adding much needed firepower and height with the departure of key players. The 6’8” opposite spiker finished the regular season as Ateneo’s leading scorer with a total of 211 points (186 spikes, 18 blocks, and 7 service aces) which puts his per-game average at 15.07.

Defensive anchors

Koyfman has provided a steady and reliable figure in the Ateneo attack, slotting in at fifth in the scoring category. Ron Medalla, one of the Blue Eagles’ open spikers, ranked seventh in scoring with 189 points in total (13.5 per game). Chu Njigha and John Rivera finished 11th and 14th, respectively, in the scoring category with the former averaging 11.29 points per game (158 total) while the latter averaged 10.79 points per game (151 total). Njigha finished as the league’s highest scoring middle blocker along with FEU’s John Bugaoan.

Njigha also placed in the blocking department, tallying 33 kill blocks in 14 games played. Libero Manuel Sumanguid has also stepped up his game in covering the Blue and White’s floor defense. He won the best digger award with an average of 4.58 per set and finished 2nd in the receiving category with an incredible 64.09% efficiency rating, a mere 0.98% behind FEU libero Vince Lorenzo.

Rivera has also been a rock for Ateneo since the beginning of the season as his contribution both on the attack and defense are invaluable to the team’s overall performance. Apart from his work on the offensive end, he ranks seventh in both digging and receiving this season, racking up 115 excellent digs and 293 excellent receptions (58.7% efficiency) as his and Sumanguid’s incredible defensive abilities keep them in the quest for a title.

Weaknesses

Though four Blue Eagles belong to the top 15 scorers in the league this season, their collective success rate in spiking has not been at its best. Medalla, placing 9th in spiking, is the team’s most efficient spiker, recording a 38.5% success rate while Koyfman rounded out the top 10 at 37.73%.

For further comparison, the best spiker in the league, Bryan Bagunas of NU Bulldogs, is spiking at 53.49% success rate. This puts a 14.99% difference between Medalla from the top and 15.76% for Koyfman. It highlights a need for more consistency and firepower from the Blue Eagles’ spikers. Once the Ateneo spikers are shown only a single coverage block, they have to be able to convert from those chances and immediately lock in a point.

In blocking, only Njigha has broken into the top 10, making a name for himself as he finished at third with a total of 33 kill blocks and only behind, Jayvee Sumagaysay from UST with 45 and Jude Garcia of FEU with 34. Gian Glorioso, another middle blocker of the Blue Eagles, has recorded 23 kill blocks so far and while he has shown steady improvements at the net, consistency is yet to be seen.

Both Glorioso and Njigha have combined for 56 kill blocks in the elimination round (4 per game) but other players also have to step up as well in the blocking department. Koyfman, with his height, is one player whom we can expect to be a huge asset in the squad’s net defense. While he has struggled in receiving and digging due to his tall figure, his long arms and reach paired with a 6’8 body frame would certainly make opposing spikers think twice about challenging his block. Once his blocking becomes more active, it will be a big help in Ateneo’s title ambitions.

FEU matchup and the importance of the wings

In the first round, the Blue Eagles suffered a heartbreaking five set loss to FEU. In the second round, they stuck to their game plan of attacking against FEU’s setter Owen Suarez who’s blocking was a weakness that the Tamaraws were unable to make up for. Heavy focus on the wing allowed Medalla to score a career-high 32 points en route to a four-set win.

This heavy focus on the wing is akin to last year’s game plan with Espejo being shifted around to match up with the weakest blocker. In last year’s semi-finals game 1, Espejo scored 55 points to set the UAAP record for most points scored in a game while the following match saw Espejo score 37 points. FEU has a clear weakness against Ateneo’s wing spikers, despite them ranking as the second best blocking team in the league.

Medalla and Koyfman combined for 53 points in Ateneo’s most recent game against FEU, and the two spikers will be important factors as the Blue Eagles will need to defeat the Tamaraws twice to make it back into the finals.

Upcoming games

Semi-finals game 1: Saturday, May 4, 2:00 PM vs. FEU at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Semi-finals game 2: (if necessary) Wednesday, May 8, vs. FEU at the FilOil Flying V Centre.