UST STAR Josh Ybañez dazzled on both ends of the floor to steer the Golden Spikers to a five-set victory over the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 19-25, 26-24, 21-25, 26-24, 15-11, in the UAAP Season 88 men’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The two-time Most Valuable Player exploded for 29 points on 27 kills and two aces, to go along with 19 excellent receptions.
Despite a great outing, Ybañez credited rookies Jhoncriz Ayco and libero Kalel Legaspi for their solid contributions in UST’s back-to-back wins.
“These rookies, actually, stick to the system more… We seniors are the ones who sometimes lose focus. So, I’m happy that they’ve adopted our system,” Ybañez said postgame.
“They came from a champion team in high school, so I don’t think the adjustment to college will be that big,” he added.
The España-based squad struggled in the opening set as Ateneo launched a 7-1 surge led by Blue Eagles FSA Emmanuel Okeke, 17-11.
UST’s 12 errors proved costly as Okeke sealed the frame with a strong attack, 25-19.
Ybañez unloaded nine points in the second set to keep his team afloat as both squads traded blows, pushing the frame to a 24-all deadlock.
Ayco fired a clutch attack for 25-24, while Ateneo committed a costly error on the next rally, handing UST the 26-24 second-set win.
Okeke snapped a 17-all deadlock in the third frame and sparked a pivotal 4-0 blitz, turning a tight exchange into a 20-17 Ateneo advantage.
The Katipunan-based squad protected the cushion down the stretch, as Brian Castro denied UST rookie Kris Hernandez at the net to seal the third set, 25-21.
The fourth set once again turned into a tight back-and-forth battle until the late stages.
Found at a 24-all deadlock, Ybañez delivered a clutch pipe attack to push UST to set point, while an attack error from Ateneo captain Jian Salarzon forced a decider.
Ybañez and JJ Macam found their rhythm midway through the decider, getting key stops at the net before stretching the lead to 12-8.
The Golden Spikers held firm in the endgame as Ybañez sealed the victory with a hit, 15-11.
Macam and Ayco added 11 and nine points, respectively, for UST.
The Golden Spikers, now at 2-1, will look to keep their streak alive against the UE Red Warriors at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion on Saturday, Feb. 28. F
