THE ATENEO Blue Eagles claim the top spot in Pool B of the V-League Collegiate Challenge after they dominated the Battle of Katipunan against the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons in four sets, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-17, in Paco Arena, Manila. This win secures them a quarterfinals bout where they will face the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers. 

The Blue Eagles struggled to find their footing at the start of the first set, allowing the UP Fighting Maroons to maintain their lead until the latter part of the set, 18-21. James Licauco’s blocking and Kalle Blomstedt’s kills from the wing allowed Ateneo to tie the game at 21-21. However, UP took advantage of Ateneo’s lack of floor defense and secured the first set after a running attack from the middle, 22-25.

[Set 1]

Gopio with a block!

Ateneo 20 UP 21#VLeaguePH pic.twitter.com/R7AGFpVPRx

— Caitlin Bernal (@Ayin_TheGUIDON) November 13, 2022

Determined to redeem themselves, Ateneo showcased immediate improvement in their digging and took the early lead in the second set, 8-4. Responding to UP’s consistent ironclad blocking, the heroic offensive performance of Ateneo’s attackers Ken Batas and Jett Gopio bore holes into the opponent’s defense. Ateneo bagged Set 2 with Charles Absin’s signature quick attack, 25-22.

[Set 2]

Absin finishes the set with a quick attack!

Ateneo 25 UP 22#VLeaguePH pic.twitter.com/vQicB5byHm

— Caitlin Bernal (@Ayin_TheGUIDON) November 13, 2022

Riding off their more consistent performance in the second canto, the Blue Eagles’ elevated aggressiveness manifested in their efficient blocking. Ateneo achieved a seven-point lead after a lethal combination of a series of errors from UP and an impressive 3-0 run of front row kills from the Blue Eagles, 20-1. Blomstedt once again showcased his dominance at the left pin and took the third set for the Blue and White, 25-22.

[Set 3]

Blomstedt with a sharp kill to end set 3!

Ateneo 25 UP 22#VLeaguePH pic.twitter.com/htqCw0YDah

— Caitlin Bernal (@Ayin_TheGUIDON) November 13, 2022

A momentous 6-1 run by Ateneo marked the start of the fourth set. As Batas and Abai Llenos never faltered in unloading explosive attacks, the Blue Eagles continued to pull away, 20-13. Ateneo finished their match with a towering lead, 25-17, thanks to another quick kill from Absin.

[Set 4]

Absin effortlessly finishes the match with a swipe from the middle!

Ateneo 25 UP 17#VLeaguePH pic.twitter.com/WM8kjNGf8Z

— Caitlin Bernal (@Ayin_TheGUIDON) November 13, 2022

When asked about their slow start to the match, lead scorer Batas shared, “From our previous games, marami kaming lapses, especially sa receiving. Everyday nagfofocus kami doon but still, meron pa rin kaming mga lapses na kailangan naming maimprove. Naniniwala naman ako sa system so, discipline lang talaga and sacrifice sa training. (From our previous games, we had a lot of lapses, especially in receiving. Everyday, we focus on that but still we still have a lot of lapses that we have to improve on. I believe in our system, so we just need discipline and sacrifice in training.”

The Blue Eagles look to bring the same energy to their quarterfinal match against the DLSU Green Spikers this Wednesday, November 16 at 3 PM at the same venue.

Box Scores:

Ateneo: Batas – 20, Gopio – 13, Llenos – 11, Blomstedt – 10, Absin – 10, Licauco – 1, Sendon – 1

UP: Gamban – 18, Cajole – 14, Advincula – 9, Nicolas – 3, Eusebio – 1, Juntilla – 1, Samaniego – 1

Set Score:

Ateneo-UP: 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-17