THE UST Golden Spikers survived the valiant Adamson Soaring Falcons in four sets, 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, in Round 2 of UAAP Season 86 men’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Golden Spikers duo of Josh Ybañez and Gboy de Vega once again led UST’s offense, limiting the match to four sets compared to their five-set win against Adamson last March 16.
The victory raised UST’s final four hopes after improving its win-loss record to 6-4 ,while Adamson fell to 4-6.
UST stormed out to a 25-17 first-set win behind a 3-0 run fueled by Jay Rack de la Noche’s block and rallies from Ybañez and Flor.
The second set saw a similar pattern due to Ybañez’s aggressive attacks and UST’s efficient team plays, giving the team a four-point lead at 23-19.
UST middle blocker Popoy Colinares ended the second set with a quick attack from the middle, 25-19.
Down by two sets, Adamson clawed back by activating its middle blockers led by Jude Aguilar, 5-all. Despite UST’s attempt to sweep the match, Adamson closed out the set with a down-the-line kill from open spiker Marc Paulino, 25-23.
The fourth set remained tight until Ybañez took over. He unleashed a series of sharp attacks to overcome Adamson’s three-point lead and eventually secure the match point with a down-the-line hit, 18-16.
Ybañez paced UST with 25 points on 24 attacks and an ace, while de Vega contributed 15 kills and three blocks.
Paulino steered Adamson’s offense with 16 attack points, while Francis Casas and Aguilar added 13 and 12, respectively.
The UST Golden Spikers seek to continue their winning streak as they face the UP Fighting Maroons on April 10 at the Mall of Asia Arena. F
