MANILA, Philippines -- Ateneo dominated National University in every way and hammered out a 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 victory Sunday to move one win away from a historic sweep of the Spikers' Turf Season 1-Collegiate Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.
Rex Intal took charge with a match-best 15 hits while newly-awarded MVP Marck Espejo, Ysrael Marasigan and Karl Baysa combined for 25 to help propel the Eagles to a 1-0 lead in their best-of-three series.
A victory in Game Two on Sunday will complete the Loyola-based spikers an impressive 13-game sweep of the fledgling league.
"I've been talking to coach Tai (Bundit) during our practices and he was always saying 'can win, can lose' and we use that to remind players that if we don't work and play hard, we will lose," said Ateneo coach Oliver Almandro.
Ateneo, which swept NCBA, was all business in the opening set as it utterly outplayed NU that set the tone for the surprisingly lopsided win.
It was also a big help that Ateneo setter Ish Polvorosa played and contributed three hits and 24 excellent sets even though he just came out of the hospital last Thursday after he was rushed there Monday on suspicion that he had dengue.
"Thankfully, it wasn't dengue and it's just viral infection. So we're happy Ish (Polvorosa) he played," said Almandro.
Aside from its unrelenting attack, Ateneo also suffocated NU at the net with Intal leading the block party with seven of his team's total of 10.
So frustrating was the Eagles' net defense that only five NU players, led by Fauzi Ismael's 11, scored.