Batas shows way as Ateneo upends Perps in 4 for solo lead

Ken Batas dominated the court and led Ateneo de Manila University to its fourth consecutive win in the 2023 V-League Collegiate Challenge, defeating the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA in four sets, 25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21, on Wednesday at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The sophomore opposite hitter had an explosive performance, tallying 21 points, including a powerful kill in the fourth set that secured Ateneo's match point advantage. Batas recorded 17 attacks, two blocks, and two service aces.

Despite the victory, head coach Timothy Sto. Tomas emphasized the need for consistency from the Blue Eagles, stating, "At first, I was upset with their game because there were times when they went out of the system we've been practicing. We were just fortunate that the opponents made a lot of mistakes, which compensated for our deviations from our game plan."

Jian Salarzon contributed 14 points for Ateneo, with 11 coming from successful attacks, while Amil Pacinio added 12.

Kobe Tabuga found his rhythm for the Altas, scoring 18 points, all from successful attacks, but it wasn't enough to rescue the team from falling to a 2-3 record.