University of the East overcame a shaky start to defeat Zamboanga City, 22-25, 25-27, 25-20, 25-19, on Sunday, securing the championship in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Under-21 National Men’s Division at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Head coach Jerome Guhit acknowledged that the Warriors had to reset in the second set after coming out too eager in the opener.
“We don’t play that fast. I had to remind them to slow things down, focus on the game plan, and play our style,” said Guhit.
“I’m glad we pulled through. The level of competition in this tournament is high, and it’s a huge boost for our players’ development,” he added.
UE’s Isaiah Roca was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the five-day event organized by the PNVF, led by Ramon “Tats” Suzara.
In the battle for third, One Silay Sports found its rhythm after a sluggish start, defeating Umingan VC, 22-25, 32-30, 25-20, 25-19, to claim the bronze medal.
“We’ve struggled to get into form at the start of matches here because we’re not used to the cold playing conditions,” said coach Ronald Premaylon.
“It was frustrating to drop the first set, but I had no doubt they would step up after the tough start,” he added.
Ike Andrew Barelia led One Silay’s charge with a match-high 30 points, including 29 attacks and a service ace, sealing the win in an hour and 48 minutes. Vin Mark Canoy contributed 17 markers.
“I’m very happy with our performance this week because we executed our game plan well,” said Premaylon.
For Umingan VC, 16-year-old Michael Angelo Fernandez delivered 18 points, while Milson Janrey Galzote, 20, added 17.
They looked determined to force a fifth set, even taking an early 4-1 lead in the fourth. However, One Silay quickly regrouped, taking a 7-5 advantage and never looking back to secure a podium finish in the tournament, which was backed by Akari, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Philippine Olympic Committee, Meralco, PLDT, Smart, AyalaLand, Nuvali, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Rebisco, Cignal, OneSports, OneSports+, and Pilipinas Live.
