NU blanks Ateneo to move closer to UAAP men's volley title repeat | Inquirer Sports

NU blanks Ateneo to move closer to UAAP men’s volley title repeat

/ 04:04 PM March 01, 2014

The National University Bulldogs took game one of their finals match against the Ateneo Blue Eagles at the UAAP 76 men’s volleyball at the Araneta Coliseum Saturday, March 1, 2014. NU swept the Eagles in three sets, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22. Video by INQUIRER.net’s Noy Morcoso lll

MANILA, Philippines — National University blanked Ateneo, 29-27, 25-22, 25-22, in game one of the season 76 finals on Saturday to move closer to a repeat of the UAAP men’s volleyball championship.

Article continues after this advertisement

Edwin Tolentino paced the Bulldogs with 12 points, including the clincher, with Reuben Inaudito and Peter Torres combining for 19 markers.

FEATURED STORIES

NU actually struggled to pull away from Ateneo and only led by as many as five, but leaned on its remarkable finish to wrap the game up in straight sets.

“The boys sometimes forget our game plan, so we have to remind them all the time that we should focus on our blocking and set plays,” said head coach Dante Alinsunurin.

Article continues after this advertisement

The Bulldogs nearly let the first set slip after allowing the Blue Eagles to take the set point twice, but managed seal it with a 4-1 run.

Article continues after this advertisement

NU dominated blocking, scoring 10 — three from topscorer Tolentino — compared to Ateneo’s five.

Article continues after this advertisement

Marck Jesus Espejo had 19 kills, all but two from spikers, for the Blue Eagles, but it wasn’t enough to help them repeat their second round win over the Bulldogs.

Game 2 of the best-of-three finals is on Wednesday also at Smart Araneta Coliseum with the Bulldogs gunning for the kill.

“We want to finish it in game 2, because if we let the series get to game 3 the pressure will add up further,” Alinsunurin admitted.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Ateneo, Edwin Tolentino, NU, UAAP, Volleyball

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.