The DLSU Green Spikers rained arrows on Recto as they breezed past the winless UE Red Warriors in a daunting sweep, 30-28, 25-16, 25-22, to improve their standing to 7-4 at the gun lap of the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, April 5, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Veteran playmaker Eco Adajar orchestrated the difference-making ball distribution that wrung out contributions from all scoring positions within La Salle’s weaponry, unleashing 16 excellent sets, one attack, and an ace, to be hailed Player of the Game. Meanwhile, Noel Kampton showed out as the King Spiker, spearheading the La Salle offense as he tallied the only double-digit output from his squad with 13 points of his own.
On the red side, Roy Piojo and Xjhann Camaymayan anchored the Warriors’ losing yet commendable efforts with their double-digit outings, stuffing 14 and 11 points into the stat sheet, respectively.
Thrilling start
Both teams kicked off the match with an even exchange with Michael Fortuna and Axel Defeo scoring for La Salle and UE, respectively, 1-all. UE took a brief lead with a strong hit from Raquim Aceron, but Fortuna responded with a spike and an ace to swing the momentum to the Lasallians, 5-3. Vince Maglinao and Joshua Rodriguez powered the Green Spikers ahead, with Kampton and Adajar supplying more scoring cushion through a dropshot and an ace, 11-8. Red Warriors Isaiah Roca and Dave Poquita kept things close, but DLSU leaned on Fortuna and Kampton to stay ahead, 14-12.
Complementing Adajar’s well-placed set, Rodriguez launched a powerful attack, which was then followed by an unforced UE error. With the combo being too much to handle and DLSU ahead by three, UE forced a timeout, 16-13. DLSU’s aggression persisted with Maglinao and Fortuna continuing their scoring run, 18-14. But just as La Salle started to pull away, UE’s Piojo sparked a 3-0 run to tie the game, forcing DLSU to call a timeout, 19-all. Nat Del Pilar momentarily stopped the bleeding, but two straight DLSU errors slipped the lead to the Red Warriors, 21-20.
Rodriguez’s massive block put La Salle up, 24-22. But UE battled back once more, knotting the set at 24-all. Maglinao’s rocket spike gave DLSU the lead momentarily before his service error tied things up again. The set continued in a thrilling back-and-forth battle. Eventually, a Piojo service error and an Aceron miscue ended the epic set in La Salle’s favor, 30-28.
Go the distance
Shrugging off a nail-biting opener that nearly cost them an upset, the DLSU Green Spikers found their groove in the succeeding set with more efficient offense and less errors. La Salle quickly soldiered on with a firm rejection on UE’s Piojo by the Eric Layug-Fortuna tandem. With vengeance, the outside hitter from the Recto-based squad immediately retaliated with a check and hit-off, complemented by Aceron’s crosscourt contributions. A highlight play by Menard Guerrero from the back row that set up a quick deed from Del Pilar, coupled with the errors from UE, kept the Green Spikers narrowly intact amid the titter-tatter of service possession, 8-7.
Meanwhile, an impenetrable floor defense orchestrated by backup libero Jonathan De Castro made the difference for La Salle as UE wasted good digs of their own with crucial attack errors from Aceron and Piojo, giving DLSU a dangerous four-point gutter, 16-12. Del Pilar’s offense also showed out as Adajar’s activation in the middle, headlined by his classic no-look set, allowed the Green-and-White a wider distance, 18-12. Despite Piojo’s desperate attempt to come back, timely contributions from the bench brought the set closer to its end as Arjay Magallanes’ ace to the baseline and Yoyong Mendoza’s curved ace found no reception from the UE side, solidifying a two-set edge for La Salle, 25-16.
Closing it out
DLSU carried the momentum from their dominant second set into the third, quickly taking control after King Spiker Kampton led a 4-0 run. UE initially struggled with errors, allowing DLSU to maintain a four-point lead, 8-4. Despite efforts from Piojo and Defeo, La Salle remained steady as Hernandez extended the lead to five, 13-8. Undeterred, UE responded with a strong 4-0 run of their own, capped off by Piojo’s to trim the gap to one, 13-12. Camaymayan then tied it up, putting the pressure on La Salle, 13-all.
Rui Ventura managed to stop the bleeding for DLSU, yet errors kept UE within striking distance. Kampton reclaimed the lead for the Green Spikers with his heroics, but it was evened again as UE kept pushing through Piojo and Pozas, 17-all. La Salle responded with a well-balanced attack from Kampton, Ventura, and Del Pilar, regaining a two-point lead, 19-17.
UE capitalized on La Salle’s error to cut the deficit to one, 21-20. But La Salle came through in the clutch, with Magallanes delivering a huge block to extend the lead to three, 23-20. Ventura then sealed the deal with a powerful attack, giving DLSU the win for the set and the match, 25-22.
Player of the Game Adajar attributed La Salle’s win with adjustments at training, which strayed away from starter-centric playmaking to one that also capitalizes on stunning contributions off the bench, seeing rookies such as Chris Hernandez, who chalked up six points, step up during the crucial moments of the match. “Coming from a big win against Ateneo, expect more sa ginawa namin sa Ateneo. Mas hihigitan pa namin ‘yung ginawa namin against Ateneo,” declared the veteran setter of La Salle.
(Coming from a big win against Ateneo, expect more from what we did against them. We will put in more effort from what we did against Ateneo.)
As they inch closer to the Final Four, the Green Spikers will look to claim their third-straight win when they take on the UP Fighting Maroons next Sunday, April 13, at 11 am at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 3 – Kampton 13, Del Pilar 8, Fortuna 7, Hernandez 6, Magallanes 5, Mendoza 4, Maglinao 4, Rodriguez 3, Poquita 3, Adajar 2, Layug 2
UE 0 – Piojo 14, Camaymayan 11, Aceron 9, Roca 5, Poquita 3, Pozas 2, Defeo 2
Set Scores: 30-28, 25-16, 25-22
