The DLSU Green Spikers endured a heartbreaking five-set loss to open the second round of the UAAP Season 86 Men’s Volleyball Tournament, failing to halt the FEU Tamaraws’ charge, 25-16, 21-25, 32-34, 25-20, 8-15, earlier today, March 23, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Following back-to-back defeats, La Salle’s record now stands at 5-3, keeping them at third in the standings.
Despite the loss, Team Captain JM Ronquillo valiantly led the Green-and-White with 20 points on 17 attacks and three blocks. Unrelenting hitters Noel Kampton and Vince Maglinao also contributed 19 points each, while the UAAP Season 85 Second Best Middle Blocker Billie Anima chipped in 13 points on five blocks.
Three members of the team from Morayta breached the 20-point mark to send them to victory, with Jose Javelona, Martin Bugaoan, and Zhydryx Saavedra pouring in 21, 20, and 20 points, respectively.
Promising start
The DLSU Green Spikers made quick work of the Tamaraws in the opening set of the match. After back-to-back service errors and bombs from both squads to briskly put the match at deadlock thrice, the men from Taft rapidly showed out a 4-0 run courtesy of Maglinao’s diverse offense, including a crosscourt dagger and power tip to put them in the lead, 6-3. Following an error-plagued sequence from each team, Ronquillo brought out his captain poise to lead the Green Spikers to another 4-0 run with a replication of Maglinao’s offensive set to further widen the gap, 15-9.
After two straight off-the-block hits by Andrei Delicana, the Green-and-White remained composed and proved their all-around prowess as a block from Kampton and a stunning 1-2 play from Eco Adajar headlined La Salle’s third 4-0 run of the set to give them a comfortable seven-point lead, 21-14. When it mattered the most, Nat Del Pilar made his presence known with a quick down the middle, paired with Ronquillo’s block on a combination play and Kampton’s crosscourt explosion to give La Salle set point. Sticking with the erroneous theme, Jayjay Javelona’s attack error ultimately handed the Green Spikers the first set, 25-16.
Awakening the beast
Compared to their lethargic state in the first set, the Tamaraws entered the second set with renewed energy, going on an electric 5-0 run capped off by an ace from Javelona, which forced DLSU to call an early timeout, 7-2. Coming off the break, Javelona continued to let loose his fury, unloading another ace to put his side up by six, 8-2
Although the Morayta-based squad clung firmly to their advantage, the Green-and-White maintained their composure and delivered crucial rallies to slowly chip away at the deficit. The timely, quick attacks of Anima, paired with the insertion of spark plug Yoyong Mendoza, slashed the Tamaraws’ lead further. After an FEU error tied the set at 18-all, an emphatic block from Del Pilar gave the white shirts their first lead of the set, 19-18.
With the score at 21-all and the set win within reach, La Salle abruptly lost their poise as pivotal errors from Mendoza and Maglinao worked to the Green-and-Gold’s delight. Unable to recover from their faults, the Green Spikers crumbled in crunch time, falling to a Bugaoan hammer to the pavement, 25-21.
Missed opportunities
Following a comeback denial in the second set, the Green Spikers arrived at another moment of dismay in the third set as their unforced errors continued to curse them. Both teams started the set on equal footing as each dislodged quick attacks and power tips of their own to find themselves at the set’s seventh deadlock, 8-all. But errors also kept both teams from tallying runs as service errors rained from both sides. However, the reliable duo of Dryx Saavedra and Martin Bugaoan, with their signature blocker-dodging quicks, steered the Tamaraws to a lead-stealing 4-0 run, 19-17.
As the end seemingly approached, Kampton capitalized on an overreception from the Morayta-based squad to quickly put it back in with a meteoric gift and push La Salle to set point, 24-23. However, Bugaoan refused to back down as he wasted no time to perfect a combination play to extend the set. The Spikers’ faulty service came in once again as their Achilles’ heel as they gifted their foes several openings to almost close out the set. Despite valiant offensive efforts by the Green Spikers to keep the set afloat, they ultimately bowed down to the Tamaraws and gave up an arena-shaking third set after a costly attack error by Team Captain Ronquillo, 34-32.
Fast and furious
Noticeably rattled by the disheartening end to the third set, the Green Spikers entered the fourth set of action, ready to unleash their wrath. The team from Taft swiftly raced to a 7-2 advantage sparked by Anima’s defensive magic and Maglinao’s offensive firepower, which also activated the rest of the white shirts on the floor. Kampton started to come alive in the game, coolly getting a point despite three blockers swarming him at the net, 9-4.
The Tamaraws seemingly had no answer for the speedy missiles sent by the trio of Maglinao, Kampton, and Del Pilar—who all pierced through the FEU defenders with ease. With their side down big, fervent spiker Javelona kept the Green-and-Gold in the game, finishing on an astoundingly long rally to cut DLSU’s lead to five, 20-15. Closing in on the finish line, Kampton and Ronquillo flung crosscourt bombs that dazed their foes—opening the floor for Maglinao to dice the Tamaraws with an off-the-block hit and send the match to a deciding set, 25-20.
Cursed by the Tams
After a dominant win in the fourth set to give the Taft-based squad their best fighting chance to finally defeat the Tamaraws, the fifth set proved who the #1 spiking team of the league is. The men in black boasted an early 6-0 run after kill blocks from Saavedra and Bugaoan. But service specialist Eugene Gloria kept the game at bay after contributing his only two markers of the match from a precise push and service ace to meekly stop the bleeding for the Spikers.
But the Tamaraws continued to retaliate after each attempt by the Green-and-White to catch up as the deadly trio of Saavedra, Bugaoan, and Delicana each sparked stunning overhead bombs to bring their squad to six comfortable match points. Without waiting any longer, the eventual Player of the Game, Delicana, dealt the final blow with a down-the-line strike to put it all in the bag and continue the Tamaraw curse for DLSU, 15-8.
After faltering to the Tamaraws for the second time this season, the win-hungry Green Spikers will look to assert their dominance in their next match against the last-seeded UP Fighting Maroons on Thursday, April 4, at 10 am at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 2 – Ronquillo 20, Kampton 19, Maglinao 19, Anima 13, Del Pilar 8, Gloria 2, Mendoza 2, Adajar 1
FEU 3 – Javelona 21, Bugaoan 20, Saavedra 20, Delicana 13, Mendoza 3, Cacao 1, Codilla 0, Nadera 0, Martinez 0, Talisayan 0
Set Scores: 25-16, 21-25, 32-34, 25-20, 8-15
