The UST Tiger Spikers repulsed the University of the East Red Warriors in four sets, 28-26, 25-16, 20-25, 25-22, to win their sixth-straight game in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.
The Tiger Spikers improved to an 8-1 win-loss record to solidify their hold of the second spot.
UST head coach Odjie Mamon said the Tiger Spikers’ chemistry had been the reason for their momentum.
“Yung key siguro is nag-gel na ‘yung players, nag-gel na ‘yung team. So, kuha na nila ‘yung damdamin, yung jive and vibes nila, ‘yung mood nila. Mas madali kasing mag-laro pagka in-synch ‘yung mga player,” Mamon told the Varsitarian.
With the game tied at 18-all in the fourth set, the Tiger Spikers unleashed a 6-4 blast topped by Rey De Vega’s back-to-back kills to seal the victory, 25-22.
Down by nine late in the third frame, 11-20, the Tiger Spikers cut UE’s lead to five after a 4-0 run capped off by Josh Ybañez’s through-the-block kill, 15-20.
But the Red Warriors uncorked a 5-1 run to avert the sweep, 25-16.
Rainier Flor’s middle attack ignited a 5-2 run in the second set that tied the game at 10-all, before the Tiger Spikers mounted a 15-6 lead to go up two sets to one, 25-16.
In the first frame, Tiger Spiker De Vega nailed a through-the-block kill to erase the Red Warriors’ set point advantage, 24-all. The Tiger Spikers uncorked a 4-2 spurt to close out the opening canto, 28-26.
The Tiger Spikers committed 36 errors in the win.
Ybañez paced UST with a game-high 23 points built on 20 attacks and two blocks, while De Vega scored 17 markers on 15 attacks.
Giles Torres and Kenneth Culabat tallied team-high 12 points apiece for UE.
The Tiger Spikers will next face the De La Salle University Green Spikers on Sunday, April 2, 4 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum
