Feb. 15, 2015, 1:07 p.m. – THE UST Tiger Spikers
remained in the hunt for a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four after
surviving gritty De La Salle University, 25-23, 25-18, 21-25, 27-25, in the
UAAP Season 77 men’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan Saturday.
UST is already assured of a playoff spot and remains at
second spot with a 9-3 win-loss card behind the Ateneo de Manila University.
In the fourth set, Tiger Spikers Mark Alfafara and Arnold
Bautista scored back-to-back down-the-line hits to tie the match at 24.
La Salle’s Aljun Bartolome hammered an off-the-block attack
to put his team at set point, 25-24, but Bautista fired back with three
consecutive spikes to close the game.
Bautista registered a season-high 20 points for UST, while
Alfafara paced the Tiger Spikers anew with 23 markers with 6 aces.
“Nung third set nawala sila sa composure nila. Nawala
sila sa focus. Laro na, nilaro pa,” head coach Odjie Mamon said.
“Buti na lang nung crunch time ng fourth set, na-test yung character
nila.”
UST squandered a five-point lead in the middle of the third
set after a 10-3 La Salle run capped by Aaron Calderon’s running hit and an
ace, 23-19.
In the econd set, the Tiger Spikers fired an 8-1 salvo led
by team captain Romnick Rico to establish a 20-12 lead.
UST stole the opening set with a vicious 9-0 run highlighted
by back-to-back blocks, 25-23.
The Tiger Spikers will next face the University of the
Philippines on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Mall of Asia Arena. Karl
Cedrick G. Basco
