THE UST Junior Tiger Spikers made quick work of the De La Salle Zobel Junior Spikers, 25-7, 25-10, 25-12, in the UAAP Season 86 boys’ volleyball tournament at the Adamson University Gymnasium on Sunday, Dec. 10.
With UST ahead by seven points in the third salvo, 8-1, La Salle’s Floyd Marinduque converted back-to-back points to cut the deficit to five.
However, the Junior Tiger Spikers buried La Salle for good with a game-sealing 17-9 run capped by a Jon Ayco drop ball that completed the sweep.
La Salle tried to keep the game close in the beginning of the second second frame, trailing UST by one, 6-5. However, La Salle only scored five points the rest of the second set as UST pulled away with a 19-5 blast for its two-sets-to-none lead.
UST opened the game sizzling hot, drawing first blood with a dominant 25-7 set win.
“Kaya kami nanalo today kasi light silang tignan e, nag-eenjoy sila kaya lahat ng galaw nila in place,” Clarence Esteban, the Junior Tigers Spikers head coach, told the Varsitarian.
“Sa next game namin versus UE, since matindi ‘yong opensa nila, titibayan namin ‘yong depensa. Same system pa rin naman, palalakasin din namin offense namin para balanse ang lahat.”
UST improved to a 3-3 win-loss record with one game to play in the first round of eliminations, while La Salle dropped to a 1-5 slate.
In the morning, the Junior Golden Tigresses also swept the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 25-9, 25-11, 25-9, for their fourth straight win in the girls’ division.
The Juniors Tiger Spikers and Juniors Golden Tigresses will next face University of the East and Far Eastern University Diliman, respectively, on Dec. 17, Sunday, at the same venue.
