THE UST Golden Spikers failed to defend their homecourt, as they absorbed their fourth loss to the league-leading FEU Tamaraws in four grueling sets, 25-16, 34-36, 25-17, 25-18, in Round 2 of the UAAP Season 88 men’s volleyball tournament on Sunday, March 29, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.
FEU has now won four consecutive matches against UST, remaining unbeaten in the matchup since 2024.
After the loss, the Golden Spikers slipped to a 6-4 slate for the third spot, while the Tamaraws remained atop the standings with a 9-1 record.
The Tamaraws fired on all cylinders in the opener after a couple of off-the-block kills from spikers Dryx Saavedra and Mikko Espartero to cap an early 6-1 blitz.
FEU continued its offensive prowess with quick plays from the middle to shut the comeback efforts of UST and seal the first set, 25-16.
The Golden Spikers flipped the script in the second set and fired a 6-0 barrage behind the efforts of second stringers Joncriz Ayco, Gboy de Vega and setter Joshua Avila, 12-6.
Consecutive kills from Espartero and Saavedra, coupled with untimely miscues from UST, allowed FEU to overtake the lead, but back-to-back points from Ybañez tied the match anew, 24-all.
Both teams were neck-and-neck in the extended frame that saw 11 deadlocks until a crucial ace from UST middle blocker Vryvin Catinsag capped a 3-0 run to tie the match in a wild finisher, 36-34.
The Morayta squad were quick to get back on their feet as it capitalized on the eight errors of UST, establishing a 16-10 advantage in the third set.
UST tried to rally a comeback late in the set but wing spikers Amet Bituin and Saavedra hammered the finishing kills to lead the match, 25-17.
Despite another erroneous start for UST, Ybañez fired three straight kills to cut the deficit by one midway through the fourth set, 13-12.
However, the Tamaraws continued firing their offensive barrage until Saavedra knocked back-to-back kills off the block to seal their ninth win.
Ybañez paced the España squad in the loss with 21 attacks and eight receptions. Rookie Ayco provided spark from the bench with 15 markers, while Valera chipped in nine points.
Saavedra led the scoring with 21 points built on 17 attacks, two blocks and two aces. Bituin and Espartero combined for 28 points for the victory.
The Golden Spikers will seek to bounce back against the UE Red Warriors after the Holy Week break on Sunday, April 5, at the Mall of Asia Arena. F
