THE UST Golden Spikers had their five-game winning streak snapped as they fell to the NU Bulldogs in four sets, 25-22, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22, to close out their elimination round run in the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, April 27.
UST ended the eliminations in third place with a 9-5 record and will face the defending champion NU (12-2) in the Final Four, with the Bulldogs holding a twice-to-beat advantage. UST and NU faced each other in the finals in the past two seasons.
“We played poorly in this match, ” UST head coach Odjie Mamon told the Varsitarian. “The precision was off, the choices and set selection were off, so hindi na-meet yung goals ko today.”
The Golden Spikers stayed within striking distance for most of the opening set but crumbled late as NU took a four-point lead after a Leo Aringo crosscourt kill, 21-17.
Josh Ybañez tried to keep UST alive late, 24-22, but Leo Ordiales ultimately ended the set with a kill, 25-22.
UST started strong in the second set, keeping a two-point edge throughout, before gaining a 19-15 lead late, which it sustained en route to the set win, with setter Dux Yambao ending the set with a 1-2 play, 25-20.
Both teams went back and forth in the third set until an Ybañez error and an Ordiales block swung the momentum in NU’s favor, 22-20.
Despite Jayrack de la Noche’s efforts with NU at setpoint, 24-22, Ybañez committed an attack error that handed the Bulldogs the set, 25-22.
Down 15-10 in the fourth set, UST banked on a slew of NU errors and conversions from Alche Gupiteo to catch up, 18-16.
However, the Bulldogs reached match point after a successful floor touch challenge. Gupiteo kept the Golden Spikers afloat, but a clean cross from Aringo sealed NU’s victory, 25-22.
Ybañez paced the Golden Spikers with 20 points, while Jan Macam and De la Noche contributed 11 apiece.
“I think we have to work on our receiving, pero sa mental aspect, ‘yong tapang talaga, puso, and yung kalmadong utak while playing the game,” Ybañez said.
Jade Disquitado paced the Bulldogs with 23 markers, while Ordiales and Rwenzmel Taguibolos had 15 and 10 markers, respectively.
The schedule of the Final Four has yet to be released.
