THE ATENEO Men’s Volleyball Team admitted defeat against defending champions National University (NU) Bulldogs in three sets, 21-25, 23-25, 25-27. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 match was held earlier today, March 28, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion in the City of Manila.
This loss positions the Blue Eagles at fourth place in the standings with a 5-5 win-loss record.
Leading the way for the Blue and White was outside hitter Aimar Okeke, contributing 14 attacks, four blocks, and an ace. Opposite hitter Miguel Yu followed suit with six attacks and an ace. Meanwhile, NU’s Michaelo Buddin was hailed the Player of the Game with 16 attacks, two blocks, and an ace.
The Blue Eagles surged to an immediate lead as Amil Pacinio found his rhythm early in the frame, 3-1. However, the match was quickly leveled despite the promising start, as Ateneo’s errors began to pile up, 6-6. Undeterred by their early woes, Pacinio and Okeke contributed a service ace and a left pin attack to retake the advantage, 11-9.
Ateneo maintained their lead midway through the opening set as NU fell victim to their own attacking errors, 13-10. However, the Blue Eagles struggled to build on their momentum as NU’s Obed Mukaba began to impose his will at the net, 15-14. Piling on Ateneo’s troubles, Buddin converted on back-to-back hits to put the Katipunan-based squad at a one-point deficit, 17-18.
Unable to maintain their composure, Ateneo further crumbled at the backend of the frame as they allowed NU to curate a quick 5-0 blitz, 17-22. Determined to inject offensive life, Brian Castro produced a quick drop and a timely block to cut the deficit to three, 21-24. Regardless, the middle blocker’s efforts fell short as Jade Disquitado’s down-the-line hit eventually claimed the frame for the Bulldogs, 21-25.
Struggling to find their rhythm, Ateneo endured an early block point from Buddin at the start of the second frame, 0-1. The margin broadened as the Blue Eagles failed to soar past the Bulldog’s defense, only gaining their first point through Greg Ancheta’s service error, 1-3.
Eager to counter NU’s defensive prowess, Rodge Alejos delivered a single block at 3-4. Jian Salarzon then contributed a cross-court attack in an effort to catch up, 4-6.
With NU committing misreceptions, Pacinio cut the deficit with a down-the-line hit, 6-7. Alejos kept the set close, converting a service ace at 8-9. While Bulldog Rwenzmel Taguibolos unchained two consecutive blocks to stay afloat, Castro swiftly responded with a quick attack, 9-12. Using this drive, Pacinio managed to forge a deadlock at 12-12 through a block point.
Despite Ateneo’s persistence, the Blue and White fell prey to NU Buddin’s off-the-block hit, 13-15. The gap extended to three as Pacinio’s attack went out, 14-17. In an attempt to catch up, the Blue Eagles upped their defense, exemplified by Alejos’s block at 17-18. Yet, while Okeke masterfully forged a 3-0 offensive run, Ateneo’s momentum was promptly broken by Disquitado’s off-the-block hit, 20-19.
The Katipunan-based squad eventually lost the upper hand due to Okeke and Pacinio’s respective errors, 20-22. Still driven to sustain the action, Okeke curated a quick attack to minimize the deficit, 22-23; however, his service error handed the Bulldogs the second canto in the next two rallies, 23-25.
In the third frame, Ateneo got off to a blazing start as Pacinio supplied the points from the right pin, 4-2. Supplementing the early barrage, Alejos dispatched a quick trigger from the middle to keep the Bulldogs at bay, 5-3. Intent on denying NU any control, Yu then produced a service ace to extend Ateneo’s cushion to four, 8-4.
Building on their brilliant start, Okeke curated a vicious off-the-block kill to keep Ateneo in the driver’s seat, 10-5. The Blue Eagle continued his stellar play, delivering a timely pipe attack to halt NU’s quick 3-0 run, 12-8.
With NU struggling on their service aces, Ateneo held on to the lead midway through the third frame, 14-10. Replicating Okeke’s decisive plays, Yu continued to push the pace with crucial hits from the wing, 16-13.
Both teams engaged in a gutsy back-and-forth affair at the backend of the canto, 18-15. Despite holding the lead for much of the third set, the Blue Eagles found themselves on the receiving end of a Buddin and Ordiales barrage, trimming the advantage to one, 19-18. Unable to establish their defensive ground, the Blue Eagles then allowed a Buddin conversion that placed the set at a standstill, 21-21.
Responding decisively, Okeke and Yu contributed a kill and an off-the-block hit to reclaim the advantage at 24-23. However, the Blue Eagles struggled to match NU’s championship composure down the wire as their attackers’ consecutive conversions eventually placed them at set point, 25-26. Losing their touch in the clutch, Yu’s attacking error then secured the match for the Bulldogs, 25-27.
Looking to bounce back, the Blue Eagles will face the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, April 8, at 9:00 AM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in the City of Pasay.
Box scores:
Ateneo (0): Okeke – 19, Yu – 7, Pacinio – 5, Alejos 5, Castro – 4, Salarzon – 2, Medino – 1
NU (3): Buddin – 19, Ordiales – 12, Disquitado 8, Taguibolos – 6, Mukaba – 3, Parreno – 1, Ancheta – 1
Set scores:
Ateneo-NU: 21-25, 23-25, 25-27
Current Standings (W-L):
- FEU Tamaraws (8-1)
- NU Bulldogs (8-3)
- UST Golden Spikers (6-3)
- ATENEO Blue Eagles (5-5)
- DLSU Green Spikers (4-5)
- UP Fighting Maroons (3-6)
- UE Red Warriors (2-8)
- AdU Soaring Falcons (2-8)
