As University of Santo Tomas inches closer to the UAAP Season 88 Final Four—and possibly a coveted twice-to-beat advantage—third-year setter Joshua Avila is making his presence felt at the perfect time, delivering the best game of his collegiate career when it mattered most.
The 25-year-old Ormoc native orchestrated the Golden Spikers’ offense with 33 excellent sets, adding one attack and one block as UST carved out a four-set victory over Adamson University on Saturday at the FilOil Centre.
Avila’s breakout outing not only powered UST into the Final Four of the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, but also kept its slim hopes alive of securing a prized twice-to-beat advantage in the postseason.
What made his performance even more impressive was how he stepped up as the primary setter after captain Dux Yambao went down with an injury scare in the first set against the Soaring Falcons.
For him, though, it was simply about repaying the trust of head coach Odjie Mamon and his teammates while staying true to his role on the floor.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Siguro, hindi lang sila Coach yung may tiwala sa akin,” said Avila after UST made it to the semifinals for the fourth season in a row. “Halos lahat ng games, may tiwala sila — sila Josh (Ybañez) at Gboy (De Vega).
“Lalo na si Dux na kahit nasa labas siya, lagi siyang sumusuporta sa akin. Yung nakikita niya sa labas na puwede niya ituro sa akin sa loob, ‘yun yung tinutulong niya sa akin. Laking bagay na nafe-feel ko na maraming teammates at coaches na marami ang tiwala sa akin.”
In a sense, setters act as the on-court extension of their coaches, guiding the rhythm amid the chaos of play. With Yambao sidelined, Avila filled the void seamlessly, ensuring the Golden Spikers never lost their composure or flow.
The UST High School product played with remarkable poise, lifting the performance of those around him. One of the biggest beneficiaries was De Vega, who turned in 16 points built on 12 successful attacks to power the offense.
For De Vega, Avila’s performance was no surprise, saying it was simply a reflection of what the team consistently sees from him in training. He also pointed out UST’s luxury of depth at setter, with both Avila and Yambao capable of running the offense at a high level.
“Sabi ni Coach Odjie, ‘di lang po dalawa ‘yan,” said De Vega. “May tinatago pa kaming secret weapon. Bale ano po, thankful and grateful siyempre na may setters kami kagaya nila.
“Kahit sila yung pinaka-driver, open sila sa mga suggestions and siyempre sa mga adjustments na kailangang gawin pagka dumating kami sa sitwasyon na kailangan kaming mag-usap talaga para sa mindsets, tempo, ganun… Magaan lumaro pagka ganyan ang setter. ‘Pag nagkamali ka, ‘di ka nila sisisihin. They will push you to make bawi.”
After his standout performance, Avila is determined to sustain this level as the Final Four approaches. Up next for UST are matchups against University of the Philippines on Sunday and National University on April 22 to close the elimination round.
Those two games will serve as stern tests for the Golden Spikers, but Avila remains firm that UST will stick to the same system that has carried them this far.
“‘Yon din, same lang siya kasi araw-araw namin ginagawa ang sistema ni coach,” he said. “Parang dagdag confidence siya, at sana magtuloy-tuloy siya sa last few games, sa semis, at baka sa Finals.”
#WATCH: CONFIDENCE-BOOSTER FOR AVILA 🐯
Joshua Avila, along with Odjie Mamon, Josh Ybañez, and GBoy de Vega share their thoughts on clinching a #UAAPSeason88 Final Four berth 🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/xLct4TDwQl
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/PqWESlrnjW
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) April 11, 2026
