Beginning their first season without five-time UAAP MVP Marck Espejo and five-time Best Setter Ish Polvorosa, the Ateneo de Manila University took care of their archrivals.
The Blue Eagles swept the De La Salle University Green Spikers, 25-23, 25-22, 25-15, and gained their first win of the UAAP Season 81 Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
A back-and-forth first set went to Ateneo’s advantage, thanks to returning Tony Koyfman’s late conversions. The Blue Eagles then protected a four-point lead all the way to set point in the second frame, 24-20. La Salle threatened to come back, but a service error from Kieffer Reyes stopped them two points short of a deuce.
The Green Spikers began the third set strong, going on an 8-2 lead. Behind 8-10, the Blue Eagles rattled off a 13-0 run to bury the Green Spikers in an insurmountable gap.
Ateneo also debuted a new head coach in Timothy Sto. Tomas, who took over for three-time champion mentor Oliver Almadro. The young former Ateneo High School coach acknowledged the challenges of losing their two best players in Espejo and Polvorosa.
“Well actually it’s a morale-booster for the team. Especially people are saying na, since wala na si Marck or wala na si Ish, how will you get scores, how will you score points?” said Sta. Tomas.
“I was able to instill to them na this time, it will be a collective effort. No one will score points for you. Everyone should score points for the team. So yun ang mentality ngayon ng mga bata,” he added.
Koyfman finished with 15 points, while middle blocker Chumason Njigha and open hitter Janjan Rivera added 10, each.
Skipper Cris Dumago topped the Green Spikers with 12 markers, and was the only La Salle player in double-digits.
Ateneo (1-0) take on the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Spikers (0-1) on Wednesday, while La Salle (0-1) face the Adamson University Soaring Falcons (1-0) on Saturday. Both matches will be played at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
The Scores
ADMU (3) – Koyfman 15, Njigha 10, Rivera 10, Medalla 9, Glorioso 7, Magadia 1, Cuerva 0, Morado 0, Sumanguid (L)
DLSU (0) – Dumago 12, Bacon 8, Anima 7, Reyes 6, Delos Reyes 5, Marco 2, De Jesus 1, Aquino 0, Llige 0, Serrano 0, Macaspac (L), Sumalinog (L)
