The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons turned back a huge deficit in the third set and finished off the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Spikers, 25-22 25-19 26-24, and snatched their seventh win of the season, Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
It was nip-and-tuck affair in the opening set as neither team pulled away in the early goings. UST managed to finish off on attacks; however, problems in transition doomed them to several miscues. A wing attack from UP’s Middle Blocker Gian San Pascual and back-to-back hits from Wendel Miguel put them ahead at 18-15, before the Tigers levelled the match once more. The Maroons wrested the lead for good as the opponents succumbed to more errors and Captain Alfred Valbuena finished off the match with two booming attacks.
In the second set, Manuel Medina and senior Jason Sarabia pulled UST ahead with their timely kills at 8-6. The Tigers could not pull away, and instead it was the Maroons who took the advantage, as Jayvee Sumagay two consecutive net infractions. Reception woes compounded the problem for the España-based spikers leading two easy rejections for the Maroons. UST tried once more to climb back, but Miguel closed out the frame with a combination-play kill and a block.
The Tigers pulled all stops in the third set with their smoother transition game, frustrating the Maroons to commit errors themselves. A hitting error off Valbuena gave UST the lead at 14-11, which forced UP Head Coach Rod Palmero to call for timeout. Thomasian Setter Timothy Tajanlangit then used Middle Blocker Sarabia and the senior connected on two successive quick attacks to give UST some breathing room at 20-17.
Sensing momentum, UST punished the unsteady defensive formation of the Maroons and moved to within two points of extending the match at 23-18. Nevertheless, the Fighting Maroons started a late-gasp comeback attempt.
With substitute Opposite Hitter and rookie Mac Millete on the service line, setter Charles Acuña turned to Valbuena to finish off the rallies that the Tigers failed to convert on. Two booming kills from the UP skipper and two more errors from UST sent the Final Four–seeking Maroons to match point. After Arnold Bautista extended the match at 24-all, UP took back-to-back points off a Valbuena kill and an attack error from Medina.
Valbuena once more led the Maroons with 19 markers, 17 coming from attacks, while Miguel followed suit with 16 markers. Fifth-year Evan Raymundo likewise paced the net defense of the Maroons with 3 of UP’s 7 blocks. Medina top-scored for the already-eliminated Tigers with 11 points.
UP Head Coach Rodrigo Palmero attributed the wins to the team’s newfound chemistry. “Yung motivation at bonding ng team. Yun yung tingin kong nakatulong sa kanila. Kasi nung unang games kasi, kanya-kanya,” he shared. The third-year mentor believes that it would not be as easy on their next game against the second-running Adamson Falcons, but they would definitely use the 9-day break to prepare for it.
The current solo fourth-placers UP will take on the Falcons on April 13 at the same venue for a shot at a Final Four spot, while the Tiger Spikers will face the FEU Tamaraws earlier in that day.
The Scores:
UP (3) – Valbuena 19, Miguel 16, Raymundo 6, San Pascual 5, Acuna 3, San Pedro 1, Baldelovar 0, Millete 0, Nasol L, una L.
UST (0) – Medina 11, Bautista 10, Sarabia 9, Amagan 5, Carodan 3, Balse 1, Sumagaysay 1, Tajanlangit 1, Buro 1, Francisco L.
