THE UST Tiger Spikers succumbed to defending champions Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, 22-25, 15-25, 23-25, in the UAAP Season 80 men’s volleyball tournament at the Arena in San Juan Sunday.
With the third set tied at 23-all, the Blue Eagles finished the job with a two-point swing sealed by a UST error.
Ateneo detonated a 12-3 bomb in the second canto topped by a service error from Tiger Spiker Vyxen Valenzuela to take a commanding 2-0 set lead, 25-15.
The Blue Eagles broke a 20-all deadlock in the first salvo after staging a quick 5-2 spurt capped by an off-the-block hit from Marck Espejo to gain first blood.
“Poor execution ng plan lang pero ang maganda is nakabawi si Medina and umaatake na si Tajanlangit so na-check na ‘yon sa list ko,” UST head coach Odjie Mamon told the Varsitarian.
Blue Eagle Espejo led all scorers with 16 points.
Arnold Bautista paced UST with 12 markers while Manuel Medina and Joshua Umandal combined for 19 points.
UST fell to a 2-1 win-loss slate.
The Tiger Spikers will try to bounce back against the Adamson University Soaring Falcons on Sunday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m., at the same venue.
