Peaks and Volleys
Ateneo vs. UST 10-25, 22-25, 16-25
by rick olivares (photos by another good bud, Aly Yap)
Match #2
December 4, 2007
Blue Eagle Gym
When Ronald Dulay was coaching the varsity teams of De La Salle University, they didn’t respect the Ateneo spikers in any way. In fact, they would send in their second stringers and still pull off a win.
After leading the green and white to a multitude of titles, Dulay now finds himself at the opposite side of the spectrum. To lead the Ateneo Blue Spikers out of the cellar and into UAAP respectability.
But first, he has to convince his charges that they are no foils or automatic losses for their opponents. There was a prevailing notion that win or lose, “we’re still Ateneans anyway,” said Dulay while watching his team limber up.
There were high hopes for the men’s team. A couple of years ago, they won a couple of games and everyone thought that the team was finally on the right track. Last season they sunk even lower as they lost all their matches and were annihilated every time out.
In their opening match of Season 70, there were hopes of getting that morale-boosting first win against the University of the East which was said to be not that good this year. Instead the team already suffering from a crisis of confidence lapsed into a series of errors and fell in four sets.
It was a missed opportunity for in their second match they were up against title-favorite UST (who figure to get stiff competition from UP and FEU). Not even the drums and cheers of the Blue Babble Battalion deterred the visitors. Instead, the Tigers were the ones pumped up by the beats and proceeded to make short work of the Ateneans.
The first set 25-10 lasted nine minutes and twenty seconds with the home team relying on sideouts or unforced errors for points.
The second set looked to go the same way until the team caught a break and pulled ahead 17-15. Julborg Africa, a recruit out of Canossa in Batangas with a nifty block for a point before the inspired play of team captain Timmy Sto. Tomas and AJ Pareja swung the momentum in Ateneo’s way. UST coach Emiliano Lontoc sued for time and berated his team, “Wag niyong bibigyan ng buhay ang Ateneo. Atakihin niyo sa gitna.”
And the Tigers responded to Lontoc’s call by not trying to challenge Ateneo’s blockers Martin Limgenco, JR Intal, and Sto. Tomas who found a sudden spring in their hops, but by dumping the ball into the back row. Libero John Carlo Dulu was unable to dig the powerful spikes coming from UST’s Mark Dalet and Ray Dimaculangan and four costly errors by Mark Savador allowed UST to escape to take the pivotal second set 25-22. Even worse, they lost Eduardo Ortega to a knee injury.
The boys in blue quickly got down in the third set but they valiantly fought back before once more lapsing into a spate of errors that finally did them in at 25-16.
Ateneo lost its second straight game in a mere one hour and seven minutes. In the post-game huddle, coach Dulay called on his players to show some heart and some pride. It was clear in the second set that they had UST on their heels. And that despite their foes having highly-recruited players, the no-name team from Loyola could go toe-to-toe with them. “Heart” is such an overused term, but it’s the x-factor that allows so-called lesser teams to overcome.
The Blue Spikers have shown that all they need is to string up several straight points to boost their confidence and they can compete. They have the homecourt. They have the Blue Babble Battalion. There were perhaps more people in the stands than a Lady Eagles game. AJ Pareja day in and out gives the team a chance to win with all that power in his serves and spikes. They just have to dig deep inside and want it.
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