University of Santo Tomas showed no signs of rust after a nine-day Holy Week break, cruising to its fifth consecutive win with a dominant 25-17, 25-20, 25-11 sweep of also-ran University of the Philippines in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Wednesday morning at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Two-time UAAP MVP Josh Ybañez and rookie standout JJ Macam remained in peak form, leading the Golden Spikers past the already-eliminated Fighting Maroons and improving their record to 9-4, securing solo third place in the standings.
However, the battle for the third seed in the Final Four remains open. Should De La Salle University prevail over Adamson University — an ongoing match as of press time — the final seeding will come down to both UST and La Salle’s last elimination games over the weekend.
Both teams face tough match-ups ahead. La Salle will take on top-seeded Far Eastern University on Saturday, while UST braces for a Season 86 Finals rematch against second-seeded National University on Sunday.
The two games will be played at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Yung preparation namin towards the last games of this tournament, medyo intense talaga. Sa ginawa ng mga bata ngayon, natuwa kaming mga coaches kasi yung mga pinag-practice namin during the Holy Week break, nakita naman namin. Even though hindi pa siya ganoon kakinis, pero may improvement pa kami na mapapakita,” said UST assistant coach Benjamin Mape.
Eager to close the door on the Fighting Maroons, the Golden Spikers exploded to a 13-3 start in the third set, thanks to a Jayrack de la Noche crosscourt hit and back-to-back service aces from Macam.
That early run provided all the cushion UST needed. A flurry of plays — including two straight aces from De la Noche and Macam, a service error by UP’s Tommy Castrodes, an off-the-block kill from Ybañez, and a combination play finished by the returning Alche Gupiteo — sealed the straight-set victory.
UP showed signs of life in the second set, narrowing a 23-17 gap to 23-20 behind a down-the-line hit from Nigerian import Olayemi Raheem, a rare Ybañez attack error, and a solid block by Kobe Aca-ac on Macam. But Trevor Valera responded with a timely quick hit, followed by a long cross-court attempt from UP’s Angelo Lipata, giving UST a two-set advantage.
The Golden Spikers showcased their dominance in both the attack and service game, outscoring the Fighting Maroons 47-23 in spikes and 10-0 in service aces.
Ybañez led the way with 15 points built on 12 attacks and three aces, along with 10 excellent receptions. Macam chipped in 11 points off eight attacks and three aces, plus nine excellent receptions.
Colinares also tallied 11 points with nine attacks and two aces, while De la Noche contributed 10 points on nine attacks and added four excellent receptions.
Captain Dux Yambao orchestrated the offense with 21 excellent sets, while rookie libero Edriel Alabar provided defensive stability with nine excellent digs and seven receptions.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, UP, now locked in at sixth place with a 3-10 record, absorbed its third straight defeat. The Fighting Maroons will wrap up their Season 87 campaign against Adamson on Saturday at the Big Dome.
Raheem was the lone bright spot for UP, scoring 10 points on nine attacks, while Milven Francisco added six points in the loss.
