The DLSU Green Spikers’ resurgence was met with a gritty roadblock as they fell to the league’s top-seeded FEU Tamaraws in a high-stakes four-set battle, 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 21-25, in Round 2 of the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Volleyball Tournament earlier today, April 8, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Yoyong Mendoza spearheaded the Taft-based squad’s offense with 18 points through 17 attacks and a single block, while Eugene Gloria and Chris Hernandez added 13 and 12 points, respectively, to keep the team within striking distance.
The Morayta squad’s unstoppable offense, on the other hand, was led by Mikko Espartero and Amet Bituin, who scored 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Brief opening spark
The opening set began as a grueling back-and-forth, with neither the Tamaraws nor the Green Spikers able to dictate the early tempo. Doulah Ndongala provided the initial muscle for the Tamaraws, establishing a defensive wall at the net that kept the Green Spikers’ attackers at bay. Despite the defensive pressure, the green shirts managed to hang tough, matching FEU’s production point-for-point through early deadlocks, 12-all.
The Green Spikers eventually found rhythm behind the distribution of NJ Bangit. Orchestrating a clinical offensive spread, the rookie setter utilized Y. Mendoza and Hernandez to exploit gaps in the Tamaraw defense. A decisive 5-1 run, punctuated by an attack from Y. Mendoza, through a chance ball, allowed the Taft-based squad to pull away for a 16-13 lead. This forced the gold shirts into a tactical timeout as the Green-and-White appeared to seize brief control.
However, the closing stretch saw a complete reversal of fortune as the Tamaraws executed a ruthless 12-5 run to shut the door on the Taft-based squad. While Dryx Saavedra provided heavy artillery for the Tamaraws, it was the collective defensive effort and Lirick Mendoza’s timely blocking that left La Salle grasping in the final exchanges, with an anti-climactic service error from Matthew Abut that concluded the 25-21 opening set comeback win for the Morayta-based squad.
Weathering the stampede
Eager to bounce back from an error-plagued opening frame, the Green-and-White established their dominance early in the second set. Hernandez set the tone with consecutive service aces, instantly giving La Salle a 4-0 cushion. The Taft-based squad capitalized on their offensive rhythm, with Y. Mendoza launching precise strikes from the right pin to extend the lead. Issa Ousseini and Paolo Layug anchored the net defense, shutting down the attacks of the FEU Tamaraws. A commanding kill by Y. Mendoza allowed DLSU to reach the timeout comfortably ahead, 13-8.
Coming out of the break, the Green Spikers maintained their blistering pace. A seamless one-two play between Bangit and Ousseini pushed the Lasallians further ahead, before Gloria joined the block party to establish a commanding seven-point advantage, 16-9. The Tamaraws refused to fold and capitalized on a string of unforced errors from La Salle. Sparked by a suffocating net defense and Espartero’s timely conversions, FEU mounted a threatening 5-0 run to trim the deficit to three, 20-17. However, Hernandez halted the bleeding with a crucial backrow attack. Similarly, Gloria and Layug delivered clutch hits down the stretch, allowing La Salle to close out the set and tie the match, 25-21.
Green wall crumbles
As momentum started to shift again, the third set unfolded as another grueling back-and-forth affair with Gloria provided the early spark to keep the Green Spikers ahead, 3-2. Led by Bangit’s precise sets, the Green Spikers looked composed as Layug and Y. Mendoza hammered through the Tamaraws’ defense for a steady 8-5 lead.
However, the gold shirts were fueled by the unstoppable attacks from Espartero, single-handedly dismantling the La Salle wall, accounting for six straight FEU points to level the score at 12-all. While the Green Spikers’ offense remained efficient, the heavy artillery from the Tamaraws proved too much to contain.
Despite a late stand fueled by MJ Fortuna’s combination plays and Layug’s net presence, La Salle could not solve the late-set surge from the Green-and-Gold. The run was finalized when a Hernandez attack sailed long, handing the Tamaraws a 25-22 win in the third and leaving the Green Spikers at a disadvantage.
Halted at the net
With their backs against the wall, the Green Spikers found themselves trailing early in the fourth frame after unforced errors handed FEU a quick 3-0 lead. Unfazed, the Lasallians slowly chipped away at the deficit behind Y. Mendoza’s hot hand and the relentless attacks of Hernandez. An untimely miscue from the Tamaraws allowed La Salle to equalize the score at 7-all, breathing life into the DLSU crowd. Both squads then engaged in a tense exchange, trading point for point. Y. Mendoza’s pivotal rejection momentarily gave the Green-and-White the lead, 11-10, but consecutive service errors from both sides kept the game tightly contested as the teams entered the timeout knotted at 13-all.
The grueling tug-of-war continued midway through the set, with neither side able to construct a decisive run. Bituin and Saavedra relentlessly pierced through the Lasallian defense, but Layug and RJ Magallanes provided timely answers to force multiple deadlocks, including a crucial tie at 19-all. However, the Tamaraws’ formidable net defense proved to be the ultimate difference-maker. Luis Miguel fired a sharp attack down the line, sparking a late surge that gave FEU a narrow 21-19 edge. Despite a desperate push shot from Fortuna to keep La Salle within striking distance, the Morayta-based squad shut the door completely. Finally, back-to-back monumental blocks sealed the set and the match for FEU, 25-21.
With the margin for error shrinking, the DLSU Green Spikers must quickly put the loss behind them. The Green-and-White look to strengthen their playoff bid when they collide with the ADMU Blue Eagles on Saturday, April 11, at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Scores:
DLSU 1 – Y. Mendoza 18, Gloria 13, Hernandez 12, Ousseini 10, Layug 9, Fortuna 2, Magallanes 2, Bangit 0, Retiro 0, Regidor 0, N. Flores 0, Ventura 0,
FEU 3 – Esparterto 14, Bituin 13, Saavedra 12, L. Mendoza 8, Miguel 7, Absin 7, Ndongala 3, Cacao 1, Tandoc 1, Du-ot 0, Ceballos 0, Briones 0
Set Scores: 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 21-25
