THE UST Golden Spikers continue to bolster their lineup, bringing in five new recruits ahead of the 2026 V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge, the team announced on its social media page on Friday, Aug. 14.
Joining the España-based squad are 21-year-old middle blocker Luke Anderson of Brigham Young University–Hawaii and 18-year-old rookie Titus Villacrusis, a 2026 Palarong Pambansa gold medalist and Best Middle Blocker from Oriental Mindoro.
Also joining the fray are 21-year-old outside hitter Ian De Guzman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 17-year-old outside hitter Kirk Partosa from Adamson University, and 18-year-old opposite spiker Jakob Mariano moving up from the Junior Golden Spikers.
The rookies will look to help reshape the Golden Spikers’ roster following the departures of opposite hitter Sherwin Umandal and setter Josh Avila.
Setter Dux Yambao and open hitter GBoy De Vega, meanwhile, have yet to be officially announced as returnees for the upcoming season.
UST will also be without star libero Josh Ybañez for the V-League, with the Alas Pilipinas men’s national team standout set to focus on his national team duties in preparation for the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, this September.
The Golden Spikers will kick off their V-League campaign against the National University Bulldogs on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Gameville Central Park. F
