The DLSU Green Spikers’ arrows proved to be sharp as they took down long-time rivals ADMU Blue Eagles in an extended match, 21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-22, 27-25, during their Round Two clash in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, April 2, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Celebrating a win and another year older, Noel Kampton gifted the DLSU Green Spikers with a 27-point performance from 23 attacks, one block, and three service aces. Backing him was Vince Maglinao with 22 points, orchestrated by Eco Adajar’s 28 excellent sets, along with commendable contributions from Michael Fortuna and JJ Rodriguez, who chipped in six and eight points, respectively.
On the Blue Eagles’ side, Kennedy Batas set the pace for ADMU, cracking in 26 points all from attacks, together with 18 excellent receptions. Jian Salarzon added 20 points while manning the defense with 32 excellent receptions.
Dazed disadvantage
The first set started with Salarzon drawing first blood, to which Ventura responded with an attack of his own, 1-all. Ateneo gained the upper hand early on as Jettlee Gopio scored from the middle, capitalizing on La Salle’s unstable floor defense. Maglinao swiftly answered with an attack after finding an open spot behind the blockers. Despite this, the Green Spikers still trailed by two, 7-5. The Green-and-White showcased their defensive skills as Nat Del Pilar served as an excellent decoy for Kampton’s crosscourt, trimming Ateneo’s lead by one, 9-8.
Keeping the match close, Maglinao successfully tied the match, braving Ateneo’s tall triple block, 12-all. The first set began to slow down as both teams fell victim to the multiple errors on the service line, 17-16. With the wingers unable to score, La Salle activated their middle to drill an attack, 21-20. Salarzon ended the first set in favor of the Blue Eagles as the Green Spikers were unable to take the lead, 25-21.
Sparks flew
After dropping the first set, La Salle fought to recover in the second. Errors from the service line and the offensive plays initially clouded the set, resulting in five early deadlocks with both Maglinao and Kampton rallying to catch up, 5-all. The Blue Eagles got a spark going through Salarzon, who disrupted the Green Spikers’ rhythm and stretched the lead to four, 9-5. In need of a leader to steady the ship, Taft-based veterans Del Pilar and Kampton found openings in their opponents’ side to put DLSU ahead, 10-9.
As tensions escalated, errors on the court were compensated with Maglinao capitalizing on offense and Kampton’s attacking efficiency adding to the scoreboard, 18-14. Fortuna soon joined the action, opening up DLSU’s attacking flow, net action, and service line as the Green Spikers pulled away, 21-15. The Katipunan-based squad refused to back down, cutting the lead with two straight points, 21-17. However, Fortuna continued to make his presence known, capitalizing on Ateneo’s errors and delivering a crucial block to extend the lead to 23-17. The latter part of the set saw extended exchanges in offense and defense before JJ Rodriguez sealed it with a middle attack, 25-18.
Strained clash
The beginning of the third set saw a close match as both teams were eager to get the upper hand. Amil Pacino scored by targeting Zone Four, taking advantage of the opportunity with no libero in La Salle’s rotation, 5-all. The Blue Eagles slowly pulled away with a 4-0 run courtesy of Pacino and Gopio’s scoring, 12-8. Both teams displayed their strong offense as Maglinao and Batas exchanged down-the-line attacks.
Despite their stable scoring, La Salle struggled in manning the floor and was still behind by three, 16-13. The lack of variation in sets made it easy for the Blue Eagles to read Adajar’s plays. However, Kampton maintained his cool as he scored from a crosscourt dagger, trimming the gap by three, 22-19. Much to no avail, La Salle was outperformed by Ateneo as Gopio and Batas delivered back-to-back attacks, finding empty spots in La Salle’s frail defense, 25-20.
Familiarity wins
Opening up the fourth set is Jonathan De Castro, a new face on the court who manned the defense for the Green Spikers. The early minutes of the set were marked by deadlocks and offensive exchanges as the Katipunan-based squad attempted to pull away with a one-point lead, 4-3. However, Kampton halted their attempt, leading the scoring effort with Fortuna backing him on the opposite wing.
Errors filled the court of the Green Spikers as Gutierrez and Batas took charge to gain a one-point lead, 12-11. Eventually, the momentum of Ateneo also stalled, creating a wide gap before Maglinao cracked back into the scoring department, 15-13. DLSU Coach Jose Roque tried to narrate a different story by inserting Yoyong Mendoza into the game, but it was not enough to counter the offensive efficiency of the blue shirts as they extended the lead to four, 19-15.
With their sights set on extending the match, Del Pilar and Maglinao spearheaded an offensive surge, forcing Ateneo into committing errors and tying the game at 19-all. Maglinao’s scoring streak painted the picture, disrupting Ateneo’s defense and pushing DLSU ahead by two, 22-20. With only one challenge left in the fourth set, Adajar executed a sure offensive play, setting up a familiar Maglinao play to reach set point, 24-22. In a deja vu moment from the second set, Rodriguez sealed the frame with a crafty shot, 25-22.
Collective composure
In the deciding set, the Green Spikers were at an early disadvantage as they were down by four, 4-0, courtesy of Batas and Salarzon’s stable performance. As errors began to plague the Blue Eagles, La Salle quickly caught up as Kampton scored back-to-back points through the holes in Ateneo’s iron-clad defense, trimming the lead to one, 6-5.
In an extended match, it was the veterans’ fortitude that shined through as Kampton drilled an attack and Maglinao scored a block point, 17-16. The final set proved to be anyone’s game, as the Green Spikers relied on their blocking to shift the tempo of the match. They blocked Batas, securing a one-point advantage, 22-21. With Ateneo beginning to get a read on Maglinao’s attacks, Mendoza was subbed in and immediately made an impact after notching back-to-back points, 26-25. After what seemed like a never-ending fifth set, the Taft towers’ blocking proved to be their biggest asset, handing La Salle their victory over their longtime rivals, 27-25.
When asked about the weight of this match, Kampton shared that the team’s goal is beyond the rivalry and more on securing a spot in the Final Four “Yung binabase namin ngayon is paano kami makakapasok sa Final Four. Ateneo, La Salle, ang tagal nang rivalry ‘yan pero kami ang iniisip namin it’s not about the rivalry it’s about paano kami makakapasok sa Final Four.”
(The team’s priority is finding a way to enter the Final Four. The Ateneo and La Salle rivalry has been going on for a while, but for us, our focus is on entering the Final Four.)
With their Final Four hopes still alive, the Green Spikers will look to solidify their standing with another victory as they take on the UE Red Warriors on Saturday, April 5, at 11 am at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Kampton 27, Maglinao 22, Ventura 10, Rodriguez 8, Del Pilar 6, Fortuna 6, Adajar 2, Mendoza 2, Hernandez 0, Poquita 0
ADMU 2 – Batas 26, Salarzon 20, Pacinio 18, Gopio 10, Castro 7, Almadro 0, De Castro 0, Gutierrez 0, Yu 0
Set Scores: 21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-22, 27-25
