THE UST Junior Tiger Spikers fended off the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets, 25-17, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21, in the UAAP Season 80 boys’ volleyball tournament at the Arena in San Juan Wednesday.
The Junior Spikers held a slim 22-20 lead in the fourth frame before scoring three of the next four points. Jaron Requinton sealed the win with a regalo.
“[It was part of the gameplan to let the entire second unit play] para mabigyan sila ng exposure kasi going into the latter part of the tournament, kailangan may mabunot tayo coming from the bench,” UST assistant coach Rommel Abella told the Varsitarian.
Ateneo tried to come back from a seven-point deficit late in the second set but UST team captain Lorenz Señoron’s crosscourt kill extinguished the Eaglets’ late rally.
The Junior Spikers used an 8-3 blitz late in the first frame to pull away, highlighted by Efraem Dimaculangan’s off-the-block, 25-17.
Despite committing 36 errors, UST drilled 58 attack points on the Eaglets’ defense.
Señoron scored 16 points while Rey De Vega chipped in 13 for the Junior Spikers.
Eaglet captain Kurt Aguilar had 14.
Up next for UST are the Far Eastern University Baby Tamaraws on Oct. 25, Wednesday, 12 nn, at the same venue.
