THE UST Golden Spikers tallied their first win against the NU Bulldogs in nine years after pulling off a 25-23, 26-24, 25-19 sweep in their Season 86 men’s volleyball opener at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, Feb. 18.
The game marked UST’s first victory against the reigning UAAP champions since Jan. 25, 2015 when the Golden Spikers crushed the Bulldogs the second round of Season 77, and the Bulldogs’ first loss since Feb. 16, 2019, when they fell to the FEU Tamaraws in their Season 81 opener.
With the third frame tied at 12-all, UST blasted away with a game-sealing 13-7 run capped by a Gboy de Vega ace that completed the sweep.
“I’m very happy that the team responded to our preparation,” UST head coach Odjie Mamon said postgame.
“Mahaba ‘yong UAAP. Dalawang rounds then we have the Final Four bago pa ‘yong championship. So maraming mangyayari those three months,” he said. “Pero we have a good program. Ang ini-instill ko lang sa kanila ‘yong disiplina at saka ‘yong patience. So, nakita natin ‘to ngayon. I pray na magtuloy-tuloy.”
The Golden Spikers were trailing NU midway through the second set until a 5-3 swing sparked by three of reigning MVP Josh Ybañez’s 13 points knotted the game at 18-all.
With the set reaching a 24-all deadlock, UST rookie Sherwin Umandal scored on an off-the-block hit before Bulldog Nico Almendras’s attack sailed out to give UST a 2-0 lead, 26-24.
De Vega, Ybañez and Rainier Flor scored three straight points with the opening canto tied at 22-all to draw first blood, 25-23.
Jay Rack de la Noche and Paul Colinares scored nine points apiece for UST.
Almendras and Jade Disquitado led NU with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
The UST Golden Spikers will next face the UE Red Warriors on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 12 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
