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How NU limited Ateneo's Espejo, Polvorosa in Game 1

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/05/29/vballmens-042918.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>NU&#x27;s Bryan Bagunas (1) celebrates after getting past the defense of Ateneo&#x27;s Ish Polvorosa (14) and Gian Glorioso. Josh Albelda, ABS-CBN Sports</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA – National University&#x27;s game plan worked to perfection in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 80 men&#x27;s volleyball Finals, and in the process, the Bulldogs put the clamps on two of the best players in the league.NU, trying to win its first men&#x27;s volleyball title since Season 76, claimed a 25-20, 25-19, 25-23 victory over three-time defending champion Ateneo de Manila University in Game 1 of their best-of-3 Finals series on Saturday.It was a shockingly comfortable win for the Bulldogs, who had lost to the Blue Eagles for 13 consecutive matches before breaking through in their second round encounter two weeks ago. Then, NU needed four sets to beat Ateneo, but this time around they gave the defending champions no chance to extend the match.According to NU coach Dante Alinsunurin, it was their service game that keyed the victory.&quot;&#x27;Yung serve talaga ang kailangan naming unahin,&quot; he said. &quot;Ito &#x27;yung mga bagay na kailangan naming kontrolin.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2018/04/28/uaap-finals-nu-overpowers-ateneo-one-win-away-title-40912">READ: NU overpowers Ateneo, one win away from title</a></li></ul>NU only scored two points off their serve in the game; Ateneo actually had more aces, with three. But the Bulldogs tested the Blue Eagles&#x27; first ball all game long with loaded serves, trying to target the weaker receivers in the Ateneo team.The result was that celebrated setter Ish Polvorosa had one of the poorest games of his career, tallying a paltry 11 excellent sets out of 71 tries. It was a shocking performance from the veteran, considering that Polvorosa averaged 10.74 excellent sets per set during the elimination round.As Ateneo struggled with its reception, Polvorosa often resorted to tossing the ball to their wings, particularly to reigning four-time MVP Marck Espejo. Ordinarily, Espejo would be able to score even from an awkward set, but National U was well-prepared for him.&quot;If maganda &#x27;yung service namin, sigurado makaka-block kami kapag nag-misreceive sila,&quot; Alinsunurin explained. &quot;Kaya na-control namin sa block.&quot;&quot;&#x27;Yung service namin, talagang kumarga,&quot; he added. &quot;Hindi sila naka-receive, tapos alam namin kung sino ba-block-in eh. Kasi every time na nag-misreceive sila, alam namin kung sino hahanapin ng setter.&quot;More often than not, Polvorosa&#x27;s target was Espejo, and when that happened, NU knew what to do.&quot;Kaya everytime na ganoon ang nangyari, sabi ko sa player na kahit pagkakataon, tatluhin natin. Kaya malaking chance natin na ma-block natin siya,&quot; said their coach.Like Polvorosa, Espejo also struggled. The powerful spiker who normed 46 points in their Final 4 games against Far Eastern University labored to a 16-point game, converting only 36 percent of his spikes – a brutally low rate for the uber-efficient Espejo who normally converts around 50 percent of his attempts.Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro acknowledged that they struggled to adjust to NU&#x27;s game plan, especially after their exhausting semis series against the Tamaraws wherein they had to overcome a twice-to-beat disadvantage.&quot;Hindi kami ang kumilos. They dictated the tempo and di na kami nakabalik right away, but naging waiting kami kung ano yung ibibigay sa amin,&quot; said Almadro. &quot;And yun nga, medyo adjustment kami, iba kasi yung style ng NU ngayon rather than FEU. Nag-focus kami for two weeks sa FEU na naapektuhan yung receive and defense proper namin,&quot; he added. With three days in between Finals games, however, Almadro is confident that they can make the proper adjustments. Moreover, he has full faith in Polvorosa, whom he said was just &quot;preoccupied&quot; in Game 1.&quot;I think kanina medyo na-pressure lang si Ish na i-disseminate nang husto yung bola because he knows naman na Marck will be a manned guy, babantayan sya nang babantayan, so he tried to disseminate,&quot; the coach explained. &quot;Siguro dun nag-falter, he was trying to disseminate, nawala yung timing. Nawala yung timing ni Marck, nawala yung timing ng ibang spikers,&quot; he added.But Almadro also guaranteed that Polvorosa &quot;will be back.&quot;&quot;I&#x27;m sure na alam niya naman &#x27;yung nangyari,&quot; he said of his setter. &quot;Sabi ko nga, let&#x27;s go back to what we&#x27;re doing. Wala na kailangang baguhin.&quot;Importante we just have to execute properly, no spectacular. I don&#x27;t need spectacular, just execute properly. They know naman kung paano sila nagkamali,&quot; Almadro added.Game 2 of the best-of-3 series is on Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum. For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

National University's game plan worked to perfection in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 80 men's volleyball Finals, and in the process, the Bulldogs put the clamps on two of the best players in the league.

National University's game plan worked to perfection in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 80 men's volleyball Finals, and in the process, the Bulldogs put the clamps on two of the best players in the league.

How NU limited Ateneo's Espejo, Polvorosa in Game 1

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How NU limited Ateneo's Espejo, Polvorosa in Game 1

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 29, 2018 01:04 PM PHT

Read More:

uaap

uaap season 80

uaap volleyball

nu bulldogs

ateneo blue eagles

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