In a nail-biting finish, the DLSU Green Spikers conquered the ADMU Blue Eagles in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Tournament after grazing a five-set battle against their rivals, 23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11, earlier today, March 2, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Team Captain JM Ronquillo came in clutch for La Salle, tallying 20 points from 16 attacks, three blocks, and an ace. The wing hitter was aided by rookie setter Jerico Adajar with 25 excellent sets catapulting three more players to finish with double digits: Vince Maglinao with 21 points, Noel Kampton with 18 points, and Nathaniel Del Pilar with 10 points.
Despite the loss, utility spiker Chidiebere Okeke led the charge for Ateneo with a 19-point performance through 15 attacks, two blocks, and two service aces. Joining him in double digits were open hitters Jian Salarzon and Kennedy Batas, each contributing 15 and 12 points, respectively.
First set jitters
The DLSU Green Spikers traded blows with the ADMU Blue Eagles to start the game, with Adajar picking up where he left off and setting up Del Pilar and Maglinao for excellent attacks to counter Ateneo, 4-all. However, the Green Spikers saw their opposition build a three-point cushion as they were unable to limit their errors and defend the Blue Eagles’ attacks, which forced Coach Victor Roque to call for a timeout to regroup his team, 17-14.
The Green-and-White managed to get back into the game as Adajar once again got his teammates involved while Maglinao attacked the Ateneo defense to inspire the La Salle side to force errors on their opposition and tie the game late in the set, 21-all. Hopes for a late comeback were dashed away for the Green Spikers as the Blue Eagles were successful in their fast attacks to take the first set, 25-23.
Both teams counter with a flurry of baskets after eight ties in the second set’s early going. Coming off the opening set jitters, Maglinao capitalized on Ateneo’s long defense with an off-speed shot to tie the game to its final deadlock, 12-all. After the team from Taft’s blockers thwarted two attacks in a row, they grabbed the lead at 15-12 for the first time in the set. But Maglinao’s serve found the net, keeping Ateneo within reach at 15-13.
Ateneo’s unsuccessful challenge sparked a 6-0 run for the Green Spikers midway through the second set. Kampton’s powerful spikes fueled the surge, putting them ahead 21-13. Salarzon’s pipe attack and Okeke’s off-the-block hit temporarily stopped the bleeding for the Blue Eagles, 22-15. Ronquillo capitalized on a loose ball, sending a powerful middle hit for set point, 24-15. However, Salarzon displayed grit by hammering two clutch down-the-line hits, saving two set points—keeping his team in the fight, 24-17. Unfazed by the pressure, Ronquillo responded with a similarly powerful hit, this time targeting zone six, to finally secure the set for DLSU, 25-17.
Block party, costly errors
Off the bat, the Green Spikers built on their second set momentum with early attacks from Kampton and Ronquillo, with Maglinao adding a solid block, 4-3. Kampton looked to lead his team to a comfortable lead as he added another spike and block to his tally, but the Blue Eagles countered as they capitalized on the Green Spikers’ unforced errors and kept their shots inside the lines to take the lead, 14-13.
Coach Roque then looked to his substitutes to impact the game, and it was Glen Ventura who answered the call. He came in with two immediate blocks to bring uneasiness to the Ateneo attackers and force them to call a timeout, 17-15. However, the timeout would bring no good to the Blue Eagles as the Green Spikers went on a 7-1 run anchored by De Castro’s steady performance as a libero and Del Pilar’s offense to give the Green-and-White the set, 25-18.
Despite an early lead and varied offensive attacks, La Salle’s unforced errors allowed Ateneo to force a deciding set. The teams battled closely, trading points and deadlocking six times before Ronquillo sparked a three-point run for DLSU, pushing them ahead, 14-11. Salarzon fought back for Ateneo with two consecutive points, keeping the score tight at 15-13.
In a dramatic turn of events, Ateneo captain Amil Pacinio, who entered the game for Salarzon, delivered a crucial service ace at 19-all, grabbing a three-point lead 23-20. La Salle’s struggles continued with a net touch violation called on Del Pilar and Kampton, handing the fourth set to Ateneo, 25-21.
Ultimate ending
The Green Spikers steered the ship early on with seniors Ronquillo and Billie Anima grabbing two points each to give La Salle confidence early in the final set, 5-3. Maglinao then joined the party to fuel the momentum as La Salle forced two errors from Ateneo before switching courts, 8-4.
However, Okeke proved to be a thorn to La Salle as he pounced on their defense to close the gap to two, 12-10. Despite the dominance of Okeke, the Green Spikers kept their cool as they closed off the game with two more blocks and an Anima attack, 15-11.
After the game, Coach Roque admitted that there was still room for improvement for the Green Spikers: “I think ‘di kami ganon ka tibay pa talaga in terms of as a team, but we’re trying to work it out. Hindi namin binabaliwala ang mga nakakaharap namin, talagang we see to it na ginagawan namin ng paraan na maging timplado ng laro namin.”
(I think we’re not that stable yet in terms of as a team, but we’re trying to work it out. We’re not ignorant of our opposition, and we really try to see to it that we work on our game to make it fluid.)
Meanwhile, Player of the Game Ronquillo attributed the win to the team’s eagerness to win and the fruit of their hard work during training. “Siguro mas ginusto lang namin ngayong araw and for sure naman ginusto rin nila, but it’s all about kung paano niyo ie-execute yung trainings niyo sa court,” he expressed.
(I think we just wanted it more today and for sure the other team wanted it too, but it’s all about how you execute what you work on in training on the court.)
Following this win, the Green Spikers improved to a 3-1 record in their bright start in the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Tournament. They will be looking to build on their back-to-back wins as they face the UE Red Warriors on Wednesday, March 6, at 10 am at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Maglinao 21, Ronquillo 20, Kampton 18, Del Pilar 10, Anima 6, Adajar 2, Ventura 2, Guerrero 0, Gloria 0, De Castro 0
ADMU 2 – Okeke 19, Salarzon 15, Batas 12, Pacinio 5, Daculan 5, De Guzman 3, Mangulabnan 1, De Castro 0, Gopio 0, Licauco 0,
Set Scores: 23-25, 25-17, 25-18, 21-25, 15-11
