Photo from VLeague
THE UST Golden Spikers suffered their third straight defeat in the 2026 Men’s V-League Collegiate Challenge after a five-set loss to the Arellano University Chiefs, 25-23, 22-25, 16-25, 25-13, 12-15, on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Gameville Central Park.
After falling behind by two sets to one, the España squad forced a decider with a dominant fourth-set showing but failed to complete the comeback as the Chiefs pulled away late in the fifth frame.
The Golden Spikers opened the match on a strong note, as Trevor Valera’s attack put UST on the board first before JJ Macam and Gboy de Vega helped the Spikers establish an early cushion.
Despite Arellano’s powerful attacks, UST maintained its advantage through timely blocks and transition plays, surviving a late push from the Chiefs before Macam sealed the frame, 25-23.
The Chiefs, however, responded in the second set, pulling away midway through the set behind their attacking game while capitalizing on UST’s errors to even the match at one set apiece, 25-22.
Arellano continued its momentum in the third frame, building an 18-12 advantage before UST failed to contain the Chiefs’ offense. A net touch from the Golden Spikers then handed Arellano the set, 25-16, putting the Chiefs one set away from victory.
The Golden Spikers regained control in the fourth, racing to a 5-1 lead before their blocking and serving game helped widen the gap. Macam’s service ace and consecutive UST blocks pushed the Golden Spikers to a 22-12 cushion, before Catinsag’s service ace forced the decider, 25-13.
The Chiefs quickly established control in the fifth set, opening an 8-3 lead at the changeover. UST mounted a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to one, 9-8, but Arellano regained its footing to reach match point, 14-10.
De Vega and an error from the Chiefs kept the Golden Spikers alive, but de Vega’s service error ultimately handed Arellano the deciding set, 15-12, ending UST’s comeback bid.
The Golden Spikers will seek their first win of the tournament when they take on the DLSU Green Spikers on Wednesday, Sep. 9, at the same venue. F
