The DLSU Green Spikers bowed to the UST Growling Tigers in a five-set thriller, 28-30, 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 15-11. As a result, La Salle now holds a 4-8 win-loss card. Leading UST in scoring was Manuel Medina with 15 points on 13 attacks and two aces. Jerico Jose, Jayvee Sumagaysay, and team captain Arnold Bautista also followed up with 14, 13, and 12 points, respectively.
On the other hand, Cris Dumago and Geraint Bacon led all scorers as they put in 17 points each for La Salle, while Arjay Onia closely followed with 16 points.
In the first set, UST immediately took the lead with a 4-1 scoring run. In response, the Green Spikers made a 7-1 run to put them at an advantage with a score of 8-5. However, the Growling Tigers fought back and, with the help of Medina and Jose, were able to take back the lead at 12-9. The Green Spikers scored three points to tie the scores at 12-all. The two teams traded points as they engaged in exciting rallies throughout the set. At 28-all, however, Onia scored back-to-back points to win the set at 30-28, in favor of La Salle.
The second set saw a close match between the two teams. The Green Spikers gradually stacked up points to take the lead, 10-7. However, at 14-10, UST’s Jose ignited an 8-2 run, with three points coming from him, putting the scores at 18-16, in favor of the Growling Tigers. The set proceeded as the Green Spikers sought to trim the lead with their potent offense. However, UST kept the Green-and-White from scoring consecutively and eventually won the set at 25-23.
The Green Spikers opened the third set with four consecutive points to take an early advantage. At 6-2, Delos Reyes scored two more points for La Salle with a quick attack and a block to further widen their lead to six points. UST trailed behind DLSU for most of the set before making a late 11-2 rally to put the scores at 21-17 in their favor. At 24-20, an attack from Bautista went off the block to give the set to UST with a score of 25-20.
Both teams showed fluid offense as they got engaged in another close set. At 6-4, in favor of UST, the Green Spikers started a 7-1 run that put them in the lead, 11-7. Midway through the set, La Salle scored eight consecutive points, five of which came from Onia’s attacks and G. Asia’s service aces, to give them a nine-point lead at 20-11. The Growling Tigers answered back with a 5-2 run but the Green Spikers left them trailing as they went on to finish the set with an ace from Bacon, 25-16, in favor of La Salle.
UST opened the fifth and final set with a 5-1 run. Not willing to give in, the Green Spikers made a 5-1 run of their own to level the scores. The Growling Tigers slowly built up their lead with a 6-2 run that put them at a 13-9 advantage over La Salle. It was UST that eventually took the fifth and final set with a score of 15-11.
In terms of team stats, La Salle overpowered the Growling Tigers in attacking as they won 58 points from the said category compared to UST’s 48. However, the team from España made 13 blocks and incurred only 35 errors as opposed to DLSU’s seven blocks and 39 errors. Meanwhile, the two teams finished the match tied in service aces with nine each.
“Nagpapabaya. Masyadong nagrerelax pagkalumalamang,” Green Spikers head coach Nes Pamilar commented on the team’s performance. He also added that they will still continue the process of making adjustments for their remaining games. (Carelessness. They relax when they get the lead.)
Up next for the Green Spikers will be the undefeated ADMU Blue Eagles on Saturday, April 1, at 10 am in the Mall of Asia Arena.
The scores:
DLSU 109 (2) – Dumago 17, Bacon 17, Onia 16, Delos Reyes 7, Jose 7, Del Pilar 6, Asia 4
UST 109 (3) – Medina 15, Jose 14, Sumagaysay 13, Bautista 12, Carodan 9, Icalina 4, Tajanlangit 3
