THE UST Golden Spikers made quick work of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19, in the elimination round of the V-League men’s Collegiate Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Ynares Sports Arena.
UST leaned on a balanced offensive front led by the trio of JJ Macam, Gboy de Vega and Al Bukharie Sali, who combined for 11 points in the third set to seal the win.
Both teams were without their top guns, as UST’s Josh Ybañez and Ateneo’s Ken Batas are with the national team.
Ateneo rode the early momentum in the opening frame, racing to an 8-6 lead behind quick hits from Kris Alejos and Tim Batac. The Golden Spikers then responded with a 5-0 blitz capped by a Macam crosscourt hit for an 11-8 advantage.
From there, UST took control of the set as Ateneo committed 11 costly errors, 25-19.
In the second set, the España squad quickly built an 8-3 lead due to three consecutive Ateneo miscues.
The Blue Eagles struggled to get their offense going, racking up 10 more errors in the frame. An attack error from Jian Salarzon handed UST a 2-0 set advantage, 25-17.
UST once again jumped ahead early in the third frame with an 8-4 cushion behind De Vega’s dump ball and Sali’s service ace. While the Blue Eagles reduced their error count, the Golden Spikers stayed relentless to complete the sweep.
Sali powered UST with 12 points built on nine attacks, two blocks and a service ace. De Vega and Macam chipped in 10 points apiece.
For Ateneo, Alejos tallied nine points and Salarzon contributed eight markers.
UST will look to sustain its momentum when they face Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Paco Arena. F
