THE RED-hot UST Golden Spikers tightened their grip on the third seed as they obliterated the UP Fighting Maroons via sweep, 25-17, 25-20, 25-11, in the second round of the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday, April 23, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
After a week-long break, the Golden Spikers banked on 10 service aces to seal their fifth win in a row.
UST took solo third with a 9-4 record, while UP slipped to a 3-10 slate for the sixth spot.
“The team is performing well because we are able to win in straight sets against our recent opponents, but we shouldn’t relax,” reigning MVP Josh Ybañez told The Flame.
“Our mindset is that our opponent is strong, so we need to perform better,” the spiker added.
UST dominated the opener as opposite hitter Jay Rack de la Noche fired a down-the-line kill to spark a 12-7 advantage. The Golden Spikers continued to pull away after star rookie JJ Macam sealed the set with an off-the-block hit, 25-17.
It was a similar affair in the second salvo as Ybañez dished out three straight aces to step on the Fighting Maroons, 12-6. UP tried to rally late in the set until an attack error from Angelo Lipata handed UST a two-set edge, 25-20.
The España crew blasted an offensive barrage in the third set as Macam drilled back-to-back aces for a 10-point lead, 13-3.
UP tried to cut down its deficit, but UST’s sparkplug Alche Gupiteo converted a combination play to secure the dominant victory, 25-11.
Ybañez led the scoring for the Golden Spikers with 15 markers built on 12 attacks and three aces, while Macam and Popoy Colinares contributed 11 apiece.
Foreign student-athlete Olayemi Raheem paced the Fighting Maroons with nine kills and a block.
The Golden Spikers will seek to end the elimination round on a high note as they clash with the reigning champions NU Bulldogs on Sunday, April 27, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. F
