AFTER years of supremacy, the UST Tiger Spikers surrendered their crown to long-time arch-nemesis Far Eastern University (FEU), 27-25, 15-25, 25-19, 21-25, 13-15, in their best-of-three championship series at the Arena in San Juan last Feb. 29.
Tiger Spiker Salvador Juan Depante III registered 23 points while Mark Gil Alfafara and Christian Arbasto combined for 30 markers. Finals’ Most Valuable Player (MVP) Rodolfo Labrador Jr. fired up 22 points for FEU.
In the deciding set, the Tamaraws took advantage of Alfafara’s faulty attacks to erect an easy 0-4 advantage. UST bounced back through Depante’s kills to slash the deficit to one point, 10-11.
Season MVP Jayson Ramos of UST blocked Arvin Avila’s attack to tie the set at 11-apiece. But the Tamaraws were steadier in the end game to claim the set and deny UST of a fifth consecutive crown.
“Bago pa man ang game, sinabi namin na kahit anong mangyari, walang sisihan kasi ginawa naman namin ang lahat at lumaban kami,” Ramos said.
Ramos, setter Kerr Sherwyn Ucang, and two-time Best Receiver Paul Jan Doloiras played on their fifth and final year.
Coach Emil Lontoc was not happy with the officiating.
“Masyadong pumabor ang mga referees sa kabila (FEU). Marami kaming tawag na na-hold at hindi tinawagan ang kabila. Hindi ko naman sinasabing ‘di nila deserved pero sobrang hindi ko nagustuhan ang officiating,” the dismayed UST coach told the Varsitarian.
But he conceded that the team’s “blocking collapsed early.”
Too short for Finals
The Lady Spikers settled for third place after losing to the Ateneo de Manila University, 19-25, 16-25, 25-22, 19-25, last Feb. 16.
“The players felt the pressure,” head coach Odjie Mamon said. Season 74 Best Spiker Maika Ortiz led UST with 22 points, while Maruja Banaticla contributed 12 markers. Ateneo’s team captain Fille Cainglet and rookie Alyssa Valdez led the Lady Eagles with 22 points each.
Cainglet and Valdez’s blocks allowed Ateneo to breeze through the first two sets, en route to a 2-0 advantage going into the third frame. But the Lady Spikers regrouped with Ortiz’s patented running attacks and Banaticla’s spikes that bombarded the Lady Eagle’s frontline, 24-21, keeping UST hopes alive in the third set.
However, the UST volleybelles failed to sustain their momentum, as former UST junior spiker Valdez sealed the game for the Lady Eagles through an off-the-block hit in the fourth set, 25-19.
