UNIVERSITY of the East sent the UAAP Season 86 High School Boys’ Volleyball Finals to a winner-take-all Game 3 following a marathon 18-25, 17-25, 27-25, 26-24, 15-11 reverse sweep of National University Nazareth School in Game 2, Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan.
The top-ranked Junior Red Warriors, gunning for a league-best 14th title, and the Bullpups, shooting for their fifth, go for broke at 1 p.m. on Monday at the same San Juan venue.
“Ang sabi ko lang sa mga bata, kung niyong may mangyari sa ending ng high school, ito na ‘yun. Kailangan nating manalo kasi wala na ‘pag natalo kami ngayon. Sa second set, wala kong ginawa kundi aralin lang ‘yung laro at i-motivate sila,” said head coach Raffy Mosuela.
With its season on the line, UE fended off a NUNS rally in the fifth and final set that leveled the frame at 10 apiece. Outside hitter Lance Babon took control off the 5-1 finishing kick, scoring four of these points on smart plays before captain Jan Macam finished the two-hour-and-45-minute battle.
The Bullpups turned up the aggression at the start of the match and punished the defensive lapses on the side of the Junior Red Warriors in the first two sets.
As the UE defense was in disarray, NUNS took advantage on the counter with Matthew Abut and Kart Lascuña finding their marks. The Season 82 champions also saw Miguel Egger and Dave Lardizabal scoring from the middle.
The Bullpups also capitalized on Macam’s stint on the opposite side with Abut denying the Junior Red Warriors skipper’s attempts.
Coach Mosuela, though, switched to putting his captain and the Season 85 Best Outside Hitter back on the left side and the adjustment eventually made wonders in the match.
Down 21-22 at the tail-end of the fourth, Babon and Macam scored two straight kills from combination plays to snag the lead.
Abut leveled the set but the Bullpups could not get to finish the job. However, Macam did so for UE with back-to-back cross-court bombs sealing the deal and set up the comeback.
NUNS won the opener, 39-37, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21.
