The DLSU Green Spikers emerged victorious against the ADMU Blue Eagles, winning the match in four sets, 25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 22-25, in their UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament match earlier today, March 12, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
The Green-and-White were led by Noel Kampton, who scored 27 points off 23 attacks, three blocks, and an ace. Backing Kampton up were Glen Rui Ventura and Vince Maglinao, who scored 13 and seven points, respectively.
On the Katipunan side, Kennedy Batas spearheaded their efforts with 22 points of his own. Meanwhile, Jon Salarzon followed with 19 points.
Arrows missed
The Blue Eagles came off strong as they seized control of the match in the opening set, punishing the unorganized offense of the Green Spikers. The Green-and-White, struggling to find their rhythm early on due to consecutive offensive errors, allowed Ateneo to pull ahead, 8-4.
Coming off the technical timeout, the Blue Eagles continued their hot streak, extending their lead to four, 10-6. Attempting to catch up, DLSU reorganized their offense as they were led by MJ Fortuna, who showed brief moments of brilliance with a thunderous block point and a service ace, 13-12.
The Green Spikers saw a glimmer of hope when Kampton scored back-to-back attacks, but Ateneo sniffed out the fires of a turnaround as they widened the gap once more. Riding on this momentum, the Blue Eagles reached set point, and swiftly closed out the set, taking an early 1-0 advantage in the match, 25-19.
Leading the charge
Determined to reassert their dominance, the DLSU Green Spikers came into the second set with their heads held high. Yet, the ADMU defense made them fight for every point, which put them at a disadvantage, 5-1. However, Kampton took matters into his own hands, hammering attack after attack to fuel the team’s comeback. His offensive surge, alongside Rodriguez’s steady presence at the net, erased the deficit and shifted the momentum in favor of the DLSU Green Spikers.
As the set neared it’s end, Kampton delivered a clutch block to level the score, 19-all. With Ventura and Nat Del Pilar providing stability, Kampton sealed the set with a no-nonsense crosscourt kill, scoring 25-23.
Arrows loose
Determined to command the match, Jian Salarzon of the Blue Eagles grabbed the hard-earned first point of the set after a grueling rally. Determined not to concede another set to the Blue Eagles, Kampton ignited a run that would help the Green Spikers catch up, 9-all.
Kampton commanded the rest of the set with his offensive brilliance, scoring consecutive points to push the lead further, 14-12. Ateneo, on the other hand, were plagued with errors as they committed multiple double touch violations, further increasing the lead of La Salle. The Blue Eagles failed at their attempt to regain their footing as fatigue loomed over their team, leading to a string of costly errors that allowed the Green Spikers to edge forward, 19-16.
Attempting to spark a comeback, Ateneo called for a timeout to break La Salle’s momentum and reorganize their approach. However, Kampton refused to be denied, hammering point after point to extend the gap to 21-18. Despite a late push from the Blue Eagles, they could not bounce back from their lapses. Kampton sealed the set with a final blow, bringing DLSU a win in the third set, 25-21.
Right on target
After clinching the third set, the DLSU Green Spikers were determined to close out the fourth and the match fearlessly. Kampton wasted no time imposing his dominance, opening the set with a powerful attack. His offensive rhythm, complemented by Ventura’s crucial points and Del Pilar’s defensive presence, gave the Green-and-White a commanding lead, 14-10.
The Blue Eagles attempted to stage another comeback, taking advantage of DLSU’s error to tie the set at 16-all. However, the Green Spikers once again maintained their composure during crunch time. Kampton delivered another momentum-shifting attack, 23-22. With match point at stake, Del Pilar sent the DLSU Green Spikers faithful into celebration mode with a decisive block, giving them the victory to close the game, 25-22.
After executing their game plan to near perfection, Head Coach Jose Roque reflected on his team’s effort, emphasizing their dedication and focus. “Proud to say na nagawa namin yung plano namin. At the same time, lahat ng pinagbuhusan namin ng panahon, eto yung resulta. Yun naman yung goal namin for now, bago matapos yung last game, magawa namin yung mission namin which is stay strong,”
(Proud to say that we accomplished our plan. At the same time, this is the result of everything we poured our time into. That was our goal for now, to complete our mission and stay strong before the last game ends.)
Following this win, the Taft-based squad now boast a 4-2 record. They will look to further improve their standing in the tournament when they take on the FEU Tamaraws on Saturday, March 15, at 11 am at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Kampton 27, Ventura 13, Maglinao 7, Fortuna 5, Del Pilar 4, Rodriguez 3, Adajar 1, Hernandez 1, Poquita III 1
ADMU 1 – Batas 22, Salarzon 19, Pacinio 14, Castro 7, Gopio 3, Gutierrez 3, Almadro 0, De Castro 0
Set Scores: 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22
