Defending champion University of Santo Tomas clinched the fourth and final ticket to the UAAP Season 88 High School Boys’ Volleyball Final Four after a 25-18, 18-25, 25-15, 25-13 victory over Adamson University on Friday at the Paco Arena Sports and Events Center in Manila.
Picking up from where they left off in their dominant third set, the Junior Golden Spikers opened the fourth frame with a commanding 5-0 start. They used their net defense to repeatedly stifle the Baby Falcons’ attacks. Ranier Lorayes even punctuated the run with a kill block.
Adamson briefly regained its offensive rhythm through Kirk Partosa and James Bernabe, but UST setter Chester Esteban steadied the ship. He orchestrated the offense while turning middle blocker Markus Julian into a reliable scoring option to build a strong 14-5 lead.
Esteban later sealed the one-hour and 13-minute match with a crafty 1-2 play, sending the defending champions to a 9-5 record and a semifinal showdown with long-time rivals National University Nazareth School.
“Yung team ko kasi, rebuilding kasi ang daming nawalang main spikers ko. Pero pilit namin silang inihabol na ma-meet nila ‘yung gusto naming mangyari kasi ‘yung system na pinapagawa namin sa kanila, ‘yun ‘yung lalaruin nila hangga’t andito sila sa UST. Kudos naman sa players ko na pilit naman nilang kinukuha ‘yung sistema,” said head coach Aying Esteban.
Lorayes powered the Junior Golden Spikers with 21 points, including a game-high five of the team’s 16 blocks, shutting down Adamson’s offense and its playoff hopes. The 19-year-old outside hitter also tallied 16 spikes.
Esteban delivered 19 excellent sets and added seven points, four of which came off blocks, while Julian chipped in 11 markers built on nine spikes and two kill blocks.
Adamson, which reached the Final Four through the back door last season, fell short this time. Partosa led the Baby Falcons with 14 points, while Bernabe had 13.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
NUNS closed the eliminations as the top seed with a 13-1 record after defeating De La Salle Zobel, 25-12, 27-29, 25-13, 25-15.
Four Bullpups scored in double figures, led by Ronnie Millan’s 15 points — a testament to the steady playmaking of captain and setter Brylle Crespo, who tallied 15 excellent sets in the three sets he played.
Elmerson Lejano, Christian Dave Maghanoy, and Xandrex Ragusta each produced 12 points.
The Junior Green Spikers, who finished sixth at 4-10, leaned on their wing hitters in the four-setter. Andrei Montillano matched Millan’s output with 15 points, while Brett Urriquia and John Kooper Arguelles contributed 13 and 10 markers, respectively.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Meanwhile, University of the East completed a strong 6-1 second-round campaign with a 25-12, 25-17, 25-7 sweep of Ateneo, securing the No. 2 seed and a twice-to-beat advantage against Far Eastern University–Diliman in the Final Four.
All but one Junior Red Warrior scored, with Karlo Niogan leading the way with seven points. Even libero Julianne Serrano chipped in a point.
Ethan Rivera registered a game-high nine points as the Blue Eagles ended their season at eighth with a 0-14 card.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
FEU-D closed out its elimination run with a timely confidence-boosting win, sweeping University of the Philippines Integrated School, 25-20, 25-13, 25-15, to stop a two-game skid against Adamson and NUNS.
Kenneth Maliwanag and Tyler Ramos powered the Baby Tamaraws with 15 and 12 points, respectively, while setter Brix Landicho dished out 13 excellent sets.
Prince Jimenez wrapped up his UAAP debut season with another double-digit performance, scoring 13 points as UPIS settled for seventh at 2-12.
