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Nothing to be ashamed of for Ateneo, says coach

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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/05/03/ateneo.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>(L-R) Ateneo&#x27;s Marck Espejo, coach Oliver Almadro, Ish Polvorosa, and Karl Baysa sing the Song for Mary following their loss to National University. Arvin Lim, ABS-CBN Sports</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – The Ateneo Blue Eagles may have been unable to win the UAAP men&#x27;s volleyball title for the fourth season in a row, but head coach Oliver Almadro remains proud of how his players performed in Season 80.Ateneo&#x27;s three-year reign over the men&#x27;s volleyball division ended on Wednesday, when the National University Bulldogs defeated them in an exhausting four-set match, 25-20, 31-29, 22-25, 33-31. That loss saw the end of the Marck Espejo era in Katipunan, with the five-time Most Valuable Player ending his career with a 30-point, 24-reception, 9-dig effort.Also bidding goodbye to the Blue Eagles were skipper Karl Baysa, who played sparingly due to an injury, and ace setter Ish Polvorosa, who had 34 excellent sets in his last game for the Blue and White.&quot;We played our hearts out,&quot; Almadro said after the game. &quot;I&#x27;m proud of my players. They did their best, and di talaga sila sumuko.&quot;The coach admitted that Baysa&#x27;s injury had been a factor, as it forced them to change their game plan at the last minute. However, this was no excuse. &quot;Talagang it&#x27;s God&#x27;s will na ganito ang mangyari,&quot; he said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2018/05/02/espejo-says-ateneo-showed-champion-s-heart-game-two-loss-41085">READ: Espejo says Ateneo showed champion &#x27;s heart in Finals loss</a></li></ul>Almadro had said at the start of the series that they were the underdogs against National U, as the Bulldogs featured several strong attackers who could give his team fits. However, he also repeatedly said that &quot;great teams will just push forward,&quot; and believed that playing such a powerful team will cause his team to elevate their own performances.&quot;If they push us forward, I guess we&#x27;re going sa tamang path,&quot; Almadro said after they qualified to the Finals.As it turned out, the reverse would be true: it was National U that elevated its game in the Finals, and in the process, dethroned the Blue Eagles.&quot;The Lord made us an instrument,&quot; said Almadro. &quot;We pushed NU forward. &#x27;Yun ang nangyari.&quot;Almadro, himself a former National U coach, had nothing but praise for the Bulldogs. &quot;We just have to give it to NU,&quot; he said. &quot;They grabbed it.&quot;All throughout the Finals, the Blue Eagles could not overcome National U&#x27;s net defense. Even Espejo – a four-time Best Attacker in his UAAP career – was rendered inefficient by the NU blockers; on Wednesday he was repeatedly turned back by Madz Gampong and Kim Malabunga. Espejo would wind up needing 64 attempts just to score 26 kills for a 40.6% conversion rate – well below his standards.It did not help that his supporting cast was inconsistent at best, with Ron Medalla, John Rivera, Gian Glorioso, and Chu Njigha blowing hot and cold in the game. Medalla, in particular, went through a roller-coaster of a contest as he scored the winning point in Set 3 that extended the match, only to commit the brutal attack error that sealed the victory for NU in the fourth set.Yet all those miscues, all the errors, and all the wasted opportunities were set aside by Almadro as he honored his players, particularly the seniors, after the game.&quot;I&#x27;m proud of my players,&quot; said Almadro, who stood with Espejo, Polvorosa, and Baysa as they sang the Song for Mary one last time on Wednesday. &quot;They never gave up, until the last point.&quot;&quot;Talagang sometimes, it goes down to being out-muscles. But I&#x27;m very much sure that we were not outclassed.&quot;For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles may have been unable to win the UAAP men's volleyball title for the fourth season in a row, but head coach Oliver Almadro remains proud of how his players performed in Season 80.

The Ateneo Blue Eagles may have been unable to win the UAAP men's volleyball title for the fourth season in a row, but head coach Oliver Almadro remains proud of how his players performed in Season 80.

Nothing to be ashamed of for Ateneo, says coach

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Nothing to be ashamed of for Ateneo, says coach

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 03, 2018 03:57 PM PHT

Read More:

uaap

uaap season 80

uaap volleyball

ateneo blue eagles

oliver almadro

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