Despite showing grit under pressure, the DLSU Green Spikers fell to the UST Growling Tigers in a hard-fought battle in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Volleyball Tournament, 23-25, 22-25, 25-15, 19-25, earlier today, February 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Anchoring the Green-and-White’s stand was Issa Ousseini, who delivered 16 points on 10 attacks, four blocks, and two aces, while Chris Hernandez provided vital support with 15 markers, coming through with timely hits that kept DLSU within striking distance.
Across the net, Josh Ybañez paced the Tigers with 22 points, along with JJ Macam and Trevor Valera’s nine markers, despite UST pulling away to secure the victory.
Battle for control
Eager to dictate the tempo, the DLSU Green Spikers stepped into the opening set ready for a physical battle at the net. However, early defensive lapses allowed Valera to slip through Taft’s towers for the first point. Ousseini quickly restored order, rising above the Tigers’ wall to level the playing field at 1-all. Still, La Salle found themselves adjusting to UST’s quick offense, as Sherwin Umandal’s finesse and Ybañez’s sharp running attack forced the Green-and-White to chase an early 3-1 deficit before transition plays widened the gap to 7-4.
Refusing to let the set drift away, the Taft-based squad recalibrated. A crosscourt strike from Eugene Gloria and a steady back-row attack by Rui Ventura steadied DLSU’s footing, while Ousseini and Ventura asserted themselves at the net with consecutive blocks to trim the deficit to 11-10. Hernandez then sparked the Lasallian faithful with a service ace to tie the frame at 11-all, signaling a renewed rhythm for the Green Spikers.
The middle stretch tested La Salle’s composure. A clever tip set from Ezer Regidor freed Joshua Magalaman for a power finish, giving the green jerseys a slim 15-14 edge. Yet each DLSU surge was met with resistance, as Ybañez’s push tips and Valera’s off-the-block conversions kept UST within striking distance in a tense deadlock at 18-all.
Holding on to momentum in the closing exchanges, Ousseini once again stepped up—finishing a long rally before firing a service ace to nudge the Taft-based squad ahead, 21-20. But in the final moments, the Green Spikers were unable to sustain their edge. A pivotal joust at the net swung against them, and a composed finish from the Legarda-based squad sealed the opener, 23-25, leaving La Salle narrowly short in the first set.
Cracks in momentum
The Green Spikers opened the second frame with urgency, leaning on their signature middle attack to seize early control. Ousseini established his presence immediately with quick conversions and a crucial block as the Green-and-White capitalized on UST’s shaky start to construct a steady cushion. With contributions from Hernandez at the wing and Ventura from the opposite, the Green Spikers came composed, building a 12-9 advantage behind a balanced offensive spread and solid net defense.
As the match progressed, the tide shifted once more as UST began to apply sustained pressure from the service line and through the wings. Ybañez found his rhythm with sharp down-the-line kills and crafty cut shots, forcing the DLSU to rebuild their defensive walls. Reception cracks began to surface for La Salle, and what was once a three-point lead quickly dissolved into a four-point deficit after a decisive run from the España-based side. Even a substitution to stabilize the floor defense failed to halt the Tigers’ surge, as UST demanded longer rallies and capitalized on over-receives at the net.
Despite late-game sparks from Ousseini’s powerful pouncers and a crucial block on Ybañez, La Salle struggled to string together consecutive stops. Service errors at critical points stalled their attempt to mount a comeback, allowing UST to sustain their distance down the stretch. Ultimately, the Green Spikers’ early advantage was overshadowed by their poor reception, faulty serves, and inability to to withstand UST’s mid-set rally, as they conceded the second set, 25-22.
Statement from the middle
Determined to reset the tone, DLSU opened the third set with sharper intent, as Hernandez struck first with a clean down-the-line finish. After a brief exchange of service errors and quick points from both sides, the Green Spikers began to stretch a lead behind Ousseini’s presence in the middle. His overwhelming quick spike from the middle at 7-5 steadied the frame, stitched with a crucial block soon after to extend the lead at 11-7. When Gloria followed with a service ace and La Salle capitalized on a broken play to widen the lead to 13-17, the shift was no longer subtle and control had indeed returned to the Taft side.
Unlike the previous set, DLSU tightened their grip to sustain the advantage all throughout. Hernandez saw daylight from the pipeline and Ventura tooled with the blockers using intentional smart hits. Gloria also showed out with heavy swings that echoed through the taraflex of UST. Every attempt to claw back, whether through Ybañez on the wing or Valera’s middle plays, the Green Spikers met them with even more sharper answers. Meanwhile, Ousseini continued to punch through the defenses with his quick attack, pushing the advantage and sealing the outcome, 21-14.
Feeling the brink of the finish line, the Taft-based squad closed in with composed authority. A spark from Mendoza off the bench and another clean connection through the middle brought them to a set point before Magalaman’s firm block slammed the door shut. What began as a tight volley resulted in a 25-15 statement, a calm regaining of form that tilted the match back into DLSU’s favor.
Breaking point
With the match hanging in the balance, both squads opened the fourth frame locked at 1-all. Hernandez struck first for the Green-and-White off a sharp Regidor set, finishing a grueling rally with a back-row hit, 2-1. However, errors crept in for the Taft-based squad, as miscues on their end coupled with the Tigers’ sharper floor defense allowed UST to string together a run behind Ybañez’s piercing attacks and well-timed power tips, forcing a timeout for the green jerseys at 6-3.
La Salle attempted to regroup, with Hernandez answering from the back row and capitalizing on the yellow jerseys’ service errors to stay within reach. However, the Green Spikers struggled to sustain momentum as UST’s lightning offense—highlighted by a Valera quick and Ybañez’s clinical finish off an overpass—stretched the deficit to 13-9. Though Ayco’s and Yambao’s service miscues provided brief openings, the Taft-based squad continued to grapple with UST’s disciplined floor defense and transition play, preventing them from fully regaining control.
Midway through the set, the Green Spikers found themselves chasing as UST continued to apply pressure. Macam’s sharp back row attack and Ybañez’s relentless scoring pushed the lead to 16-11. Ventura attempted to rally the Green Spikers with a thunderous crosscourt hammer, while Hernandez found openings off the block, but each La Salle surge was swiftly countered. Ybañez’s composed power tip in the middle exposed defensive confusion on the green jerseys’ end, extending the yellow jerseys’ cushion to 20-16.
In the final stretch, the Green-and-White struggled to regain control as UST capitalized on crucial lapses. Ayco slipped an attack through a lone blocker, and Valera denied Gloria at the net to widen the gap, 22-17. Despite a late quick from Ousseini and a service error from Macam that gave the Green Spikers a brief opening, Ybañez delivered the final check to seal the frame, 25-19, handing the Taft-based squad a tough finish to the match.
The Green Spikers aim to reinstate their squad in the tally boards as they go against the UP Fighting Maroons on Wednesday, February 25, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
DLSU – Ousseini 16, Hernandez 15, Gloria 9, Ventura 8, Mendoza 2, Magalaman 2, Regidor 1, Layug 1, Magallanes 0, Abut 0, Bangit 0, Flores 0, Rodriguez 0
UST – Ybanez 22, Macam 9, Valera 9, Umandal 7, Catinsag 4, Ayco 4, Yambao 3, Hernandez 2, Tavera 0, Avila 0, Malabunga 0, Legaspi 0, Alabar 0
Set Scores: 23-25, 22-25, 25-15, 19-25
