Green Spikers finish sixth in UAAP Men’s Volleyball

Another long year for the Green Spikers came to a screeching halt after the team stumbled to sixth place in this year’s edition of the UAAP Men’s Volleyball tournament.

After finishing fifth last year due to the AdU Soaring Falcons taking the last Final Four spot in the tournament, the men’s volleyball team was poised to make another contending run this season. With only two seniors graduating and Season 75 Most Valuable Player Red Christensen still in the fold, than team was more than ready to legitimize their status as title contenders.

Unfortunately, as opposed to their female counterparts, the Green Spikers couldn’t find their groove throughout the season. They finished with only one victory in the first round, with the lone win courtesy of the cellar-dwelling UE Red Warriors. The second round wasn’t much different for the team, winning three out of four games.

The Green Spikers ended their campaign with a 4-10 win-loss record. They were able to finish higher than the UP Maroons, who hold the same record, due to a better Set Ratio Quotient. Among the teams they beat were the Red Warriors, the Fighting Maroons, and a shocking upset over the finalist NU Bulldogs.

The Taft-based volleyball squad opened their season with two straight losses. They fought hard and lost in five sets against UP in the first game, while dropping to NU in three sets the following game. They notched their first victory against UE via sweep, but things went south afterwards.

A close decision against the FEU Tamaraws in a game that went five sets showed the team has the potential to go far. However, they would then get dominated by arch-nemesis, ADMU Blue Eagles, in three sets. AdU added to La Salle’s misery by beating them in five sets after which the UST Growling Tigers swept them in the final game of the first round.

The games of the Green Spikers in the first round ended in either bitter sweeps or heart-breaking five sets. Entering the second round with only a single win and in seventh place, the team’s Final Four hopes were dim and minimal. Their playoff chances relied on other teams losing games.

Not wanting to bank on chance, the men’s volleyball team played harder in the second round. They dropped their first assignment against AdU in five rounds but bounced back immediately and defeated UE once again at the expense of one set. FEU had their number once more the following game, which they then responded with a huge upset win over a championship-contending NU.

Unfortunately for the team, they were unable to carry the momentum from the previous game, losing to league leaders ADMU and UST in the next two matches. Now out of contention, they had to jockey for the sixth position in the standings against UP in their final game of Season 77. The Green Spikers were better off this time, outlasting their Diliman counterparts in five thrilling sets.

Now in the off season, the men’s volleyball team has a lot of rebuilding to do in preparation for next season. Four players have already exhausted their eligibility; namely Red Christensen, Aaron Calderon, Aljun Bartolome, and Brendan Santos, who are all key players for this year’s roster.

Several players have shown that they could more than step-up in place of their graduating teammates. Sophomore RJ Onia has been a steady scoring presence throughout the campaign while junior Mike Frey has provided energy whenever he enters the court. In addition to this, injured player Raymark Woo will be making his return next season after suffering an
injury that prevented him from suiting up this season.

With a whole new core to lead them in the coming years, the Green Spikers future is a little unclear, but it is definitely something to look forward to as they continue their quest in bringing the championship back to La Salle.