IN THEIR final 2025 National Developmental Sports League (NDSL) contest, the Ateneo Blue Eagles bowed to the SE-University of Perpetual Help System DALTA (SE-UPHSD) Kinto Tyres after four sets, 26-24, 19-25, 21-25, 17-25. The match took place earlier today, August 15, at the Met Park Sports Center, Pasay City.
Despite being eliminated from semifinals contention, a determined Blue Eagles squad came out firing in the first set as they built an early 5-1 lead. However, Ateneo’s service errors allowed SE-UPHSD to force a 5-all deadlock. Jeric Sendon then responded with a quick attack, followed by back-to-back kills from rookie Paolo Medino to send Ateneo ahead into the first technical timeout, 8-5.
While Karl Reyes’s spikes from the wings momentarily kept the Blue Eagles in front, 11-8, the Kinto Tyres once again tied the score after the Blue Eagles’ miscues, 11-all. Preece Atendido and Rodge Alejos attempted to seize control for Ateneo throughout the set, but they failed to establish distance as violations at the net and service line repeatedly halted their progress of pulling away.
In the backend of the set, Ateneo relied on Alejos, Reyes, and Medino to turn a 20-20 deadlock into a set-point advantage, 24-21. Refusing to concede easily, SE-UPHSD’s Arkee Corpuz and Dexter Arrozado delivered kills to extend the set, 24-24. Medino then took matters into his own hand, following up the Kinto Tyres’ service error with an emphatic cross-court spike to secure the opening set, 26-24.
After the set victory, a series of errors continued to hurt the Blue Eagles in the second set. To begin the play, Alejos scored on a tip over the Kinto Tyres blockers to set the pace for the Blue and White, 2-2. With both teams matching tempos throughout the onset, Reyes converted a cross-court hit to even out the scoreline, 8-all.
At the midway point, the Kinto Tyres began to pull away with middle blocker Jester Bornel garnering three consecutive points, 12-9. Ateneo’s unpolished defense pattern was then exposed by Arrozado’s calculated offense, which led to a four-point cushion in SE-UPHSD’s favor, 18-14. In an attempt to stop the bleeding, Medino chipped off a point through the net defenders to cut the deficit, 16-19.
Despite this, Ateneo failed to turn the lead around due to their inconsistent system and rookie-laden team, resulting in SE-UPHSD’s eventual set win. The combined contributions of Bornel and Arrozado, alongside miscues from Reyes and Medino, handed SE-UPHSD the set, 25-19.
The third set saw a competitive exchange to open as Medino and Arrozado traded hits, 1-all. Both players then continued to power their respective teams’ offenses throughout the early stages with a variety of attacks, 9-9.
Midway through the set, however, the Vince Mangulabnan-coached squad struggled to produce points outside of main scorers Medino and Reyes. As Arrozado continued to flex his attacking prowess, Jose Albon and Charles Pallasa also emerged as additional threats for the Maroon and Gold. With multiple attackers to contain, Ateneo’s floor defense started to falter against SE-UPHSD’s high-octane offense, 16-19.
Rookie Sebastian Araneta attempted to spark momentum for the Blue Eagles with his first point of the tournament, 17-19. While Alejos and Medelino’s efforts on the offensive end kept Ateneo hopeful for a comeback, a running attack from Marc Tangon put the set to bed, 25-21 in favor of SE-UPHSD.
Determined to recover from their mishaps, middle blockers Alejos and Sendon spearheaded the Blue Eagles’ offense in the fourth set. Ateneo playmaker Eijra Taluban connected with Alejos on a quick hit, 1-1. The setter then fed the ball to Sendon, who followed through with an attack down the middle, surprising their opponents, 4-3.
In response, the SE-UPHSD defense denied the entry of Sendon and Medino at the net to attain the lead, 8-6. Refusing to lag behind, the Blue and White maintained close distance with an Alejos hit, 9-11. Converting points afterward, Ateneo then orchestrated a 3-1 run courtesy of Sendon’s offensive kills, topped off by a block on Bornel’s quick attempt, 14-14.
In spite of errors against the Loyola Heights-based squad, a second ball putaway by Taluban rattled the opposing defense, 16-18. However, a 3-0 counterrun surfaced as Tim Batac was denied by the SE-UPHSD blockers, 21-16. Ultimately, the Blue Eagles succumbed to the Kinto Tyres after a Bornel off-the-block hit ended the match, 25-17, yielding a winless campaign for the Ateneo.
After concluding their 2025 NDSL stint, the Ateneo Blue Eagles will continue their preseason campaign in the 2025 V-League Collegiate Challenge. The Blue and White is scheduled to face the National University Bulldogs tomorrow, August 16, at 5:00 PM in the Paco Arena, Manila.
Set scores:
Ateneo (1) – SE-UPHSD (3): 26-24, 19-25, 21-25, 17-25
