The DLSU Green Spikers ended their winning streak after suffering a loss against the FEU Tamaraws in straight sets, 21-25, 18-25, 18-25, in their 2024 V-League Men’s Division showdown earlier today, August 25, at the Paco Arena.
Despite today’s loss, the Green Spikers were led by middle blocker Joshua Magalaman, who tallied nine points off four attacks, one service ace, and five blocks. Backing up their teammate’s performance were Eugene Gloria and Glen Ventura, who chipped in eight and seven points, respectively.
Spearheading the offense of the FEU Tamaraws was Lirick John Mendoza, who also bagged the Player of the Game accolade after posting 11 points, consisting of six attacks and five blocks.
Falling short
FEU seized the early advantage in a tight opening set, capitalizing on DLSU’s faltering offense as they could not convert their reception and passing. Gloria and Magalaman sparked a rally with a cross-court strike and a decisive block, knotting the score at 5-all. Despite their offensive prowess, the Green Spikers struggled defensively, trailing 8-6 as they approached the first technical timeout of the set.
The Tamaraws then surged ahead with a solid 4-1 run, largely fueled by Mendoza’s dynamic play—a quick attack, a block, and a shot off the block—stretching the lead to 17-12. The Green-and-White could not recover from their mounting errors and defensive lapses, and FEU clinched the first set, 25-21, with a powerful cross-court finish from Amet Bituin.
Defensive breakdown
La Salle opened the second set with high hopes of making a comeback after their poor performance in the previous set as they managed to build on a two-point lead early on, 2-0. However, this was too much for the Green Spikers to maintain as FEU caught up and eventually tied the match at 6-all. DLSU could not find its stride once again after two unsuccessful challenges, and FEU seized the opportunity to balloon the lead to a score of 11-7.
In an attempt to catch up to FEU’s fast-paced game, the Taft-based team improved their net defense as Magalaman tallied two solid blocks, closing the gap to one, 13-12. However, La Salle remained inconsistent with their reception, committing several errors, which FEU capitalized on to dilate their lead to four, 17-13. This change of pace heavily affected the Green Spikers as momentum shifted to the side of the Tamaraws, losing their composure and faltering on their offense and defense. Unable to recover from their scrambled reception due to the Tamaraws’ powerful attacks, the Green-and-White tallied a total of 11 errors in the second frame, ultimately handing FEU a two-set-to-none advantage, 25-18.
Losing grip
DLSU struck first in the third set with Michael Fortuna’s commanding block point. Despite their initial advantage, the Green Spikers struggled defensively once again as FEU relentlessly hammered away, converting each opportunity to a point. Mendoza’s quick double jump play bolstered FEU’s lead to three, 9-6. DLSU momentarily closed the gap with a 2-0 run from their net defense thanks to their blocks, making it 12-10, but the Tamaraws’ relentless hitters continued to pressure the La Salle defense with every volley.
FEU managed to maintain their steady lead throughout the third set, but they faced mounting pressure and trailing, 22-16, due to lapses in coverage and attack errors. DLSU called a timeout to regroup. Despite their powerful offensive plays, the Green Spikers faltered in their floor defense, unable to receive FEU’s high-speed hits and attacks from all sides of the net. In the end, FEU’s Benny Martinez orchestrated a decisive finish with a sharp one-two play, sealing the match, 25-18.
Hoping to recover from this difficult loss, the Green Spikers will clash with the NU Bulldogs at the same venue on September 4 at 5 pm.
The Scores:
DLSU 0 – Magalaman 9, Ventura 8, Gloria 8, Layug 5, Fortuna 5, Mendoza 4, Hernandez 3, Adajar 1
FEU 3 – Mendoza 11, Saavedra 10, Talisayan 8, Ndongala 6, Bituin 5, Martinez 3, Espartero 3
Set Scores: 21-25, 18-25, 18-25
