The DLSU Green Spikers resume their hunt for their maiden victory in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Volleyball Tournament after being denied of a come-from-behind win by the ADMU Blue Eagles in a photo-finish five-set classic, 22-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20, 13-15, earlier today, March 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Glen Ventura spearheaded the Lasallians’ brave attempt after notching 18 points off 16 attacks and two blocks. Meanwhile, Eugene Gloria and Chris Hernandez made waves with commendable contributions, tallying 15 and 14 points, respectively.
On the side of Katipunan, Amil Pacinio, Kennedy Batas, and Jian Salarzon led the squad, each with double-digit showings, chalking up 18, 17, and 16 points, respectively.
Early edge slip
La Salle’s opening push was quickly met with resistance as the Green Spikers found themselves reacting to Ateneo’s early aggression. Pacinio broke through for the first point, but Hernandez countered with a crafty tap off an Issa Ousseini fake to level the game at 1-all. The Green-and-White, however, struggled to slow the Blue Eagles’ rhythm, with Ousseini denied at the net and Salarzon repeatedly exploiting the back corner to build a 5-2 cushion. Ventura and Hernandez managed to keep the green jerseys within striking distance, yet the blue jerseys’ net presence—capped by a won joust—kept the Taft-based squad on the chase. A steadier stretch of receptions and digs fueled a positive response, allowing La Salle to erase the gap and tie the set at 9-all behind a soaring combination play from Ventura and timely touches from Ousseini.
However, momentum proved difficult to sustain in the latter half. A net touch and a pair of miscues shifted control back to the Katipunan-based squad, and a service ace widened the separation to 20-15. Hernandez sparked a late rally with an ace, while Ousseini delivered crucial side-outs to close in at 22-20. But in the decisive moments, the Blue Eagles’ block sealed the Archers’ fate. A monster rejection on Ousseini established a set point for ADMU, and despite Ventura’s late crosscourt answer, the Green Spikers dropped the opener, 25-22.
Silently struggling
After a tight-knit opener that was ultimately decided by Ateneo’s edge in net defense, the Green Spikers continued their woes anew as lopsided offense cost them the chance to turn the tides in the second set. Despite an early lead for La Salle, courtesy of opponent errors and Ousseini’s blitzkrieg block on Salarzon to kickoff the set, Batas quickly chipped in numbers off block-out and crosscourt hits to overtake the green jerseys, 13-8. Coming off a much-needed timeout for the Spikers, Uriel Mendoza made his presence known with a resounding bomb to Zone Six while Ousseni finally unleashed a familiar quick to cut the lead to three and push Ateneo to an immediate timeout of their own, 13-10.
However, the Katipunan-based squad swiftly recuperated and resumed their rampage as Salarzon remained productive in the scoring department, with classic crosscourt daggers to keep Ateneo up, 16-11. Despite valiant efforts by Hernandez and Mendoza to change the pace, their consequent errors ultimately kept them from gaining momentum, still trailing by six at the homestretch of the set, 23-17. Refusing to extend the set further, Salarzon quickly closed it out with another crosscourt slash to hand the Eagles a 2-0 set advantage, 25-18.
Momentum turns green
The green jerseys stumbled out of the gates after surrendering a service ace, falling behind 1-0, but quickly steadied as Hernandez utilized the block to even the count at 1-all. Errors briefly disrupted the Green-and-White’s rhythm, allowing the Blue Eagles to inch ahead, 5-3, after an unsuccessful challenge and a passing miscue. Refusing to unravel, the Taft-based squad responded behind a solid block on Batas to tie it all at 5-all. From that deadlock, the Archers began to create separation–Hernandez fired from the back for an 11-8 edge, while consecutive Ateneo miscues and errors stretched the lead to 13-9 before a successful Blue Eagle challenge trimmed it to 12-10.
The Green-and-White found another gear midway through the frame. Ousseini’s cross-court finish and a successful overreaching challenge pushed the Taft-based squad comfortably ahead, 15-11, before a net touch widened the gap to 16-11. With Hernandez staying hot on the wing and Eric Layug converting a quick attack, the green jerseys surged to 19-12, firmly dictating the pace. The Blue Eagles threatened with a small run to close in at 24-20, capitalizing on late errors, but the Spikers kept their composure. A service error on the Katipunan-based squad end ultimately sealed the set, 25-20, as La Salle leveled the match with authority.
No pain, no gain
Riding high on an elusive set win, the DLSU Green Spikers soldiered on with a gritty turnaround through more refined playmaking and coast-to-coast production in the fourth set. The Blue Eagles did not waste time in firing out attacks that misled DLSU’s defense as Atenean setter Lorenzo Gutierrez stuffed the stat sheet with aggressive plays at the net that quickly piled up for a lopsided affair in favor of the men in blue, 13-6. But Ventura kept the Taft mainstays at bay with block-outs that launched a 6-1 run that kept the Lasallians in close contention, 14-12.
From then on, the Green Spikers unleashed perfect plays, headed by Gloria’s timely emergence. Shrugging off pressure from the foes’ net defense, Gloria masterfully evaded a triple block with an off-speed hit down the line to completely erase the seven-point deficit, 15-all. Despite several attempts from Batas and Pacinio to keep the status quo, the deadly Gloria-Ventura duo and impenetrable net defense from Issa eventually made the difference in completing the come-from-behind win to ultimately force a rubber set, 25-20.
One set away
Carrying the momentum of their fourth-set surge, the DLSU Green Spikers entered the decider with confidence, but were immediately met by the Eagles’ walls. Hernandez was turned back to open the frame, Ventura misfired, and a one-man block from Batas forced the green jerseys into an early 3-0 hole. A quick La Salle timeout did little to halt the slide as another Hernandez error and a denial at the net stretched the deficit to 5-0. The Green-and-White slowly clawed back. Gloria delivered a monster block on Pasinio, and a smart Layug fake set up Ventura to cut the deficit to 6-4. Although Ateneo stretched the lead to 8-4, La Salle responded with a Gloria crosscourt hit and a Salarzon error to close in at 8-6.
The fight intensified late in the set. Ventura and Ousseini tooled the block, which was quickly followed by a denial by Taft’s towers to Batas to tie the score at 10-all, igniting the La Salle faith. But the Katipunan-based squad answered out of a timeout, capitalizing on a back-row strike and a grueling rally that ended in their favor for a 12-10 edge. Hernandez kept hope alive with a sharp cross to pull within 13-12, yet consecutive quick attacks from Kristofer Alejos brought up match point at 14-12. Gloria’s cross-court finish delayed the inevitable, but Pacinio’s conversion in the final exchange sealed the set, 15-13, as the Taft-based squad’s valiant comeback fell heartbreakingly short.
Still in search of their first victory of the season, the Green Spikers look to finally break through as they face the UE Red Warriors on Saturday, March 7, at the same venue.
The Scores:
DLSU 2 – Ventura 18, Gloria 15, Hernandez 14, Ousseini 11, Bangit 3, Layug 3, Magalaman 2, Mendoza 2, Flores 0, Magallanes 0, Regidor 0, Rodriguez 0
ADMU 3 – Pacinio 18, Salarzon 17, Batas 16, Alejos 12, Gutierrez 6, Castro 3, Okeke 2, Almadro 0, Crisostomo 0, De Castro 0, Sendon 0, Yu 0
Set Scores: 22-25, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20, 13-15
