By: Justine Anne Gaerlan
De La Salle-Zobel ended its first round campaign in both the UAAP Season 86 High School Boys and Girls’ Tournament on a high note, notching its second victory at the expense of University of the Philippines Integrated School on Saturday at Adamson University Gym in Manila.
The Junior Lady Spikers eked out a 25-20, 25-6, 26-24 while the Junior Spikers hacked a 25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 25-21 victory.
The Junior Lady Spikers, reeling from a three-game skid, made sure that they would not be the first victims of the Fighting Maroons to close out the round.
“Okay naman yung team so medyo nag-struggle kasi yung isang player namin galing sa injury, si (Aislinn) Alemaña, so ngayon medyo mga ilang percent pa lang,” shared DLSZ coach Jeremiah Monreal as their last victory came back on November 19 — a sweep of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
“Pero happy yung team kasi maganda ‘yung pagtapos ng taon at ng first round so siguro back to drawing board kami ulit and then let’s see kung saan aabutin sa second round,” he added.
With their backs against the wall, girls squad of the Fighting Maroons, who ended the round winless, rallied in the third set, taking a 16-11 advantage.
However, Sam Marzan and Riane Cortez fueled an eight-point run by the Junior Lady Spikers, capped off by a service ace from Marzan, to eventually take over the lead at 19-16.
UPIS then rallied to tie the score at 19 after going on a three-point run. It was a neck-and-neck battle from there until the Fighting Maroons were able to regain the lead at 23-22, forcing the Junior Lady Spikers to call a timeout.
The Junior Lady Spikers scored two consecutive points, including an attack by Marzan that sent them to match point, but a backrow attack from Janella Guarino forced an extended set, 24-all. DLSZ then scored the next two points, with a service ace from Julia Andres closing out the match to improve to 6-4.
Meanwhile in boys’ play, both teams kept it close at the start of the fourth set, with neither team being able to establish a lead of over three points.
The Junior Spikers then mounted a four-point run that helped create a 13-6 separation.
After a back-and-forth rally, UPIS was able to climb back to within three at 22-19.
The Fighting Maroons were unable to force a fifth set as the Junior Spikers would score three of the ensuing five points, including a push by Floyd Marinduque that sent them to match point and an attack error from Japhet Casabar that gave them the win at 25-21.
On the other hand, Adamson responded to last Saturday’s three-set defeat to National University Nazareth School by delivering a dominant three-set win against Ateneo, 25-8, 25-10, 25-11.
The Baby Falcons were off to a hot start in the third set, quickly taking a 13-3 lead and never looked back.
Up 22-10, Adamson scored back-to-back points off a kill from Jayve de Guzman and an attack error from Jedric Nisperos. Ateneo was able to stave off a match point from an attack error by John Mark Obillo before Yuan Samson ended the match with an attack, 25-11.
Adamson ended the round at 4-3 for solo third — half-a-game ahead of idle UST. DLSZ is fifth with a 2-5 slate, UPIS is at 1-6, while Ateneo went listless.
