THE UST Junior Golden Spikers ruled the first-ever Fil-Nation Select International U19 Volleyball Tournament after sweeping the FEU-Diliman Baby Tamaraws in the finals, 25-19, 26-24, 25-22, at the Gameville Ballpark in Mandaluyong on Friday, July 19.
UST’s Paolo Medino clinched the Most Valuable Player and Best Opposite Hitter awards, while Gherick Luston and Sean Cruz were named Best Outside Spiker and Best Middle Blocker, respectively.
Kalel Legazpi, who played in the previous UAAP season as a setter, returned to his original position and won the Best Libero plum.
With UST only up by one in the first frame, 18-17, the Junior Golden Spikers pulled away with a 7-2 run capped by a Joncriz Ayco crosscourt kill to draw first blood.
In the second salvo, the Baby Tamaraws kept their bid alive after saving three set points to send the game to a 24-all deadlock. However, Luston and Cruz unleashed consecutive kills that gave UST a 2-0 lead.
After an 8-4 UST start, the Junior Golden Spikers committed costly attack errors that allowed FEU to trail them by one and keep the game tight until the set reached 23-22.
A costly FEU attack error gave UST the championship point before Jeff Abalos and Rain de la Paz denied Cedrick Calimlim to seal the deal.
Ayco the, reigning UAAP boys’ MVP, was named the player of the game.
UST ended the elimination round with a 2-1 win-loss record, just one game behind FEU which had a 3-0 tally. In the semifinals, the Junior Golden Spikers survived the VNS 19U squad in a five-set thriller to book a finals spot.
UST brought home P20,000 alongside the championship.
Eight teams participated in the inaugural tournament held from July 16 to 19. N.J.R. Bino
