THE UST Junior Golden Spikers punched their first finals ticket since 2017 after sweeping the Adamson Baby Falcons, 25-15, 25-19, 25-23, in the UAAP Season 87 boys’ volleyball semifinals at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Saturday, Nov. 30.
The last time the Junior Golden Spikers reached the finals was in Season 80, where they defeated FEU in straight sets to clinch their first title since the addition of the boys’ division in the Final Four era in 1993.
They will face the defending champions NUNS Bullpups on home turf on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.
“Sa finals, mas magpre-prepare kami para makuha yung championship,” UST head coach Clarence Esteban told the Varsitarian.
UST drew first blood with a back-row attack by John Bautista, 25-15.
The Junior Golden Spikers held a slim advantage throughout the second set, 18-17. Paolo Medino then ignited a 7-2 set-winning run, capped off by a Bautista attack, to inch closer to a sweep, 25-19.
With the game tied at 23-all in the third set, UST broke away and secured match point with a Joncriz Ayco crosscourt kill Adamson’s Jims Ducusin committed a costly error, which sent the Baby Falcons packing and UST to the finals, 25-23.
Crisean Cruz paced the Junior Golden Spikers with 13 points, followed by Bautista and Ayco with 12 markers apiece.
Ducusin was the only Baby Falcon to score in double digits with 17 points. Malinao was the next leading scorer for Adamson with six points.
