Ateneo overcomes FEU, advances to 5th straight UAAP men's volleyball finals | Inquirer Sports

Ateneo overcomes FEU, advances to 5th straight UAAP men’s volleyball finals

By: - Reporter / @BLozadaINQ
/ 04:48 PM April 25, 2018

Defending champion Ateneo showed its tenacity and overcame the odds to advance to its fifth straight finals series after turning back Far Eastern University, 25-19, 18-25, 25-22, 25-18, in the semifinals of the UAAP Season 80 men’s volleyball tournament.

The third seed Blue Eagles had to overcome a twice-to-win advantage against the Tamaraws to set up  a best-of-three series against top team National University in the championship round.

“My players really wanted this,” said Ateneo head coach Oliver Almadro in Filipino. “They sacrificed a lot, they studied every opponent, and they absolutely wanted this win.”

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“Last night they told me ‘coach we will never back down’ and when I heard that I knew they would go all out for today. I thank them because they believe in the process of doing it right, no need for the spectacular, just the right execution.”

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Ron Adrian Medalla capped off the three-time champions’ decisive 15-7 run in the fourth set with an off-the-block kill that gave Ateneo a 22-13 lead.

Chu Njigha then scored on a furious running spike to send the Blue Eagles to the 24-17 match point.Reigning four-time MVP Marck Espejo followed up his historic 55-point performance from the previous game with 37 points to lead the Blue Eagles.

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Ateneo scored on 59 spikes and Espejo accounted for 34 of those kills.

Redijohn Paler had 14 points for FEU while Jude Garcia and John Paul Bugaoan combined for 21.

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TAGS: Ateneo, Ateneo Blue Eagles, Far Eastern University Tamaraws, FEU, fifth, Sports, UAAP

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