Nov. 30 2016, 10:39 p.m. – THE UST Junior Spikers suffered the same fate as their female counterparts, falling to the Nazareth School of National University Bullpups, 25-15, 25-18, 25-19, in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the UAAP Season 79 boys’ volleyball finals at the Adamson University gym Wednesday.
NU took both championships in juniors’ volleyball after the Lady Bullpups toppled the UST Junior Tigresses in an earlier match. The Bullpups registered 31 kills, seven blocks and five aces for their second straight championship.
Both teams were tied at 13-all in the third set before NU fired an 8-2 run to pull away for good, 21-15. Gibson Balanong’s back-to-back hits secured the crown for the Bullpups.
“Experience ang malaking factor kung bakit nangyari ito today. Ngayon na lang kasi tayo nakapasok sa finals so ‘yung mga bata hindi rin sanay,” UST assistant coach Rommel Abella told the Varsitarian.
JR Sumalinog scored nine points to lead the Bullpups while MVP Billie Anima and Lawrence Cruz added eight points apiece.
The Junior Spikers trailed by just two points in the second set, 13-15. But NU ignited a 7-1 blitz to leave UST behind, 22-14.
Rey de Vega paced UST with seven points while captain Lorenz Señoron, who led the Junior Spikers in their Game 2 win, scored just one point.
