Espejo, Blue Eagles rally to beat Bulldogs in Game 1

Marck Espejo. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Ateneo weathered a late storm from National University and pulled off a thrilling 25-22, 21-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-13 victory to take Game 1 of the UAAP Season 79 men’s volleyball Finals Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles blew a 13-8 lead in the fifth set as the Bulldogs knotted the score at 13 before Marck Espejo drilled the killer smash and Rex Intal denied Fauzi Ismail late to finish off the win.

“Great game. I always tell them that NU is a great team, but the minds of the players will make us the champions,” said Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro, whose team stretched its winning streak to 29 games. “The resiliency, and the heart they’re showing, I can’t say anything less for my players.”

Espejo, the three-time UAAP Most Valuable Player, finished with 29 points powered by 25 kills and three blocks to lead Ateneo, while Tony Koyfman got 14 of his 18 markers off spikes.

Josh Villanueva also made his mark with 14 points, while the senior Intal had 11 as Ateneo continued its mastery over NU with its ninth consecutive victory dating back to Season 77.

The Blue Eagles won despite committing 35 unforced errors in the five-set classic.

Coming off a 23-day layoff, Ateneo showed its rust and found itself down, 14-5, early before roaring back and take a 22-21 lead with a Koyfman kill. Espejo punctuated that first set with a thunderous spike.

Learning from its mistakes, NU once again gained headstart and preserved the lead in the second set, where they capitalized on the Blue Eagles’ errors.

Ateneo’s miscues continued to haunt it in the third set, tallying nine errors including the errant spike from Ron Medalla which gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 set lead.

Ismail paced NU with 22 points, 20 coming from spikes, while Bryan Bagunas added 19 in the losing effort.

Game 2 is on Saturday with the Blue Eagles seeking to complete their dream three-peat.