Just when Ateneo de Manila University looked poised to secure its first straight-sets victory in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Tournament, the Blue Eagles flirted with danger against their fiercest rivals.
Ateneo, having claimed the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-18, allowed archrival De La Salle University to stage a comeback. The team dropped the next two sets, 25-20 each, and squandered what seemed like a straightforward win.
The hero for the Blue Eagles was middle blocker Rodge Alejos, who scored five of his 12 points in the decisive fifth set. Dominant at the net, Alejos finished the match with five attacks and seven blocks.
The rookie from De La Salle University-Dasmariñas was determined to prevail in a five-setter, still feeling the sting of last Wednesday’s grueling defeat to title contender University of Santo Tomas.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Sabi ko nga, ayoko maulit yung last game namin kasi sobrang nakakapanghinayang,” said Alejos.
“Yung fifth set, dun talaga lumalabas yung character ng bawat isa. Sa fifth set, thank God kasi binigay sa amin ni God and pinagtrabahuan namin.”
Weathering a reverse sweep requires immense resilience. Had Ateneo folded to La Salle, both teams would have been tied at 1–3 — a scenario that could have seriously jeopardized the Blue Eagles’ quest for a Season 88 Final Four berth.
Instead, Alejos and his teammates found a way to pull through. The victory didn’t just strengthen their own standing; it also condemned the Green Spikers to a dismal 0–4 start, marking La Salle’s worst opening to a season in the Final Four era.
Alejos credited the entire team for getting the job done.
“For me, thankful ako sa teammates ko kasi hindi sila sumuko,” he said.
“Sumunod lang kami sa sistema kasi yung ginawa kong trabaho ay galing sa gameplan talaga. Nangyari naman lahat ng dapat nangyari.”
#WATCH: AYOKONG MAULIT YUNG LAST GAME NAMIN 🦅
Rodge Alejos ensured that Ateneo would avoid the same outcome they faced against UST when they played La Salle 🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/uGcLkszzc1
📹 @lorenzodelc /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/6w3b4c5HBm
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 1, 2026
