Bouncing back from their opening loss against the NU Bulldogs, the DLSU Green Spikers overcame setbacks as they outplayed the AdU Soaring Falcons in straight sets, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19, in their UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament matchup earlier today, February 22, at the FilOil EcoOil Arena.
Noel Kampton spearheaded the Green Spikers with a whopping 24 points, 22 of which were from attacks, alongside a block and an ace. The open hitter also contributed to DLSU’s defense with seven excellent digs and eight excellent receptions. Uriel Mendoza and Micahel Fortuna also converted for the team with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
In losing effort, it was Jude Aguila and Mark Paulino who tallied seven and six attacks apiece. This was followed by fellow AdU Soaring Falcons, Ahmed Tahiluddin and Mark Coguimba, who finished with five and four attacks, respectively.
Slow and steady
DLSU opened the first set after gaining a point from an Adamson attack error, followed by Kampton’s attack on a rolling ball, 2-0. Riding their momentum, the Green Spikers headed into an early timeout called by AdU, 5-1. Converting more points, Kampton served back-to-back aces and later an off-the-block kill for his team, 9-3. The team from Taft remained composed with their floor defense, allowing them to make effective offensive chances. Despite the unforced errors from La Salle, Kampton kept the pressure on their opponents, bringing his team to set point after a powerful hit. Mendoza sealed the first set with an off-the-block hit, 25-19.
The bounce back
Despite a dominant first set, the Green Spikers stumbled in the second set. They committed unforced errors as they trailed behind the Soaring Falcons, 4-2. Aiming to break the momentum of the Soaring Falcons, Green Spikers’ Head Coach Jose Roque called for a timeout, 10-6. Out of the huddle, La Salle responded with back-to-back points through Kampton’s powerful attack and Rui Ventura’s solid kill block, helping the Green-and-White to inch closer to the Soaring Falcons. Paulino’s attack error eventually leveled the game at 19-all. Eco Adajar’s kill block gave the Taft-based team their first lead of the set at 23-22, forcing the Adamson head coach to call for timeout. With their notable defense, Adajar’s block ended the set, gifting the Green Spikers a two-set advantage, 25-23.
Composed finish
Entering the third set, the Taft-based team regrouped, capitalizing on their quick attacks, blocks, and unforced errors of the Soaring Falcons. Unlike the beginning of the second set, the closing set showed a more stable and connected Green Spikers. From start to finish, they maintained their lead and overpowered the Soaring Falcons. Fortuna’s off-the-block attack set the tone early, sparking an early start of the Taft team’s momentum, 2-1. Kampton, who was later hailed Player of the Game, scored back-to-back points from an attack and a surprise hit off the misreceive from Mendoza’s service.
Adamson’s collective effort to stop La Salle’s momentum was no match for Kampton’s running attack, which further widened the gap, 11-8. Desperate to turn the tide, AdU called for a timeout. Still, Kampton’s crosscourt kill showed the dominance of the Green Spikers, resulting in the biggest lead of the match, 22-16. DLSU continued to demonstrate their connection as a team, with Fortuna converting the combination play into a point. Joshua Rodriguez’s powerful attack led the Green-and-White to match point, 24-18. Following Rodriguez’s service error, the Soaring Falcons saved another match point. The Green-and-White claimed their first victory of the season with Nat Del Pilar’s well-placed tip off, 25-19.
Coming off this victory, the Green Spiker are eager to keep this momentum going as they take on the UST Growling Tiger on Wednesday, February 26, at 5 pm at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Kampton 24, Mendoza 13, Fortuna 10, Del Pilar 5, Layug 3, Rodriguez 2, Adajar 2, Ventura 1, De Castro 0, Poquita III 0, Guerrero 0, Magallanes 0, Hernandez 0, Maglinao 0
AdU 0 – Coguimbal 8, Aguilar 7, Paulino 7, Tahiluddin 7, Domingo 3, Gutierrez 2, Ballon 1, Obeda 1, Canlas 0, Menor 0, Bermudez 0, Gay 0, Hitones 0, Cuadra 0
Set Scores: 25-19, 25-23, 25-19
