Noel Kampton and De La Salle University bounced back in dominant fashion, sweeping Adamson University, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19, to claim their first win in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Following a 22-25, 22-25, 19-25 season-opening loss to defending champion National University last Sunday, the Green Spikers redeemed themselves by handing the Soaring Falcons their second consecutive defeat.
Kampton, who was limited to just nine points against the Bulldogs, erupted for 24 points on an efficient 22-of-39 attacking clip, along with a block and an ace.
He also contributed eight excellent receptions and seven excellent digs — all while balancing a demanding schedule filled with midterm exams and training sessions.
“Hindi ako nakatulog nung after ng first game namin. Kasi ‘yun nga, somehow ‘di ko tinitignan ‘yung score (ko), tinitignan ko ‘yung results ng game. Na-straight set kami ng defending champions so napaisip din kami na malayo pa kami,” Kampton said after the match.
“Yung preparation namin for one week, balanse. Kahit midterms week namin ngayon, medyo mahirap kasi after training may class kami. Mindset lang talaga and tiwala kay coach and God,” the Alas Men pool player added.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Kampton was instrumental in sealing the victory, sparking a crucial 5-0 run in the third set. With La Salle clinging to a slim 18-17 lead, he scored three consecutive points to stretch the advantage to 23-17, effectively putting the game out of Adamson’s reach.
From there, the Green Spikers turned to middle blockers Joshua Rodriguez and Nathaniel Del Pilar to apply the finishing touches, wrapping up the straight-set win in just an hour and 22 minutes.
“Yun ‘yung naging basis namin, ‘yung first game. Kung ano ‘yung kulang na hindi namin nagawa during the first game, ‘yun ang tinrabaho namin. I think even the teams noticed that so somehow nag-agree lang kaming lahat na kailangan namin bumawi,” said Green Spikers head coach Jose Roque.
Kampton also set the tone early, spearheading La Salle’s blistering 8-1 start in the opening set that gave them the early momentum they needed.
The second set was a tighter contest, with Adamson briefly taking a 23-22 lead after a quick from Del Pilar and a block from Eco Adajar. However, a service error from Michael Fortuna tied the game at 23 before Mendoza and Adajar closed out the set for a commanding 2-0 lead.
Eco Adajar orchestrated La Salle’s offense with 16 excellent sets while also scoring two points. Mendoza added 13 points, all from attacks, while Fortuna contributed 10 markers.
Vince Maglinao missed his second consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.
The Green Spikers will look to build on this victory when they face the University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday at 9:00 AM at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, Adamson showed flashes of promise but ultimately fell to 0-2 under new head coach Raffy Mosuela.
Mark Leo Coguimbal led the Soaring Falcons with eight points, while Jude Aguilar, Kenneth Paulino, and Ahmed Tahiluddin each added seven in the loss.
Adamson will aim for its first win of the tournament when it takes on the University of the East on Wednesday at 11:00 AM.
