Undermanned but unyielding, University of Santo Tomas–Gameville pulled off a stunning reverse sweep of Far Eastern University–DN Steel, 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-13, to secure a semifinals berth in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference on Sunday at the Paco Arena.
Playing without stars Josh Ybañez, Al Bukharie-Sali, JJ Macam, and even head coach Odjie Mamon, the Golden Spikers staged a dramatic comeback from two sets down.
The win cements their third-place finish in the eliminations with a 5-2 record and sets the tone for a strong semifinals push.
“Pasalamat kami kay Lord kasi binigyan Niya kami ng wisdom kung paano magkaroon ng [lakas ng loob] ‘yung mga bata. At the same time, ‘yung mga bata nagkaroon sila ng kumpiyansa na kaya nila,” said UST–Gameville assistant coach Benjamin Mape, who is calling the shots while Mamon and the three players are currently with Alas Pilipinas in Taiwan.
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With the scores tied at 11, Gboy Dela Vega hammered a down-the-line attack before Charles Absin committed a crucial attack error, giving the Golden Spikers a 13-12 edge.
Sherwin Umandal connected on a drop ball to push his side to match point, but Lirick Mendoza responded with a quick attack. Dela Vega then went off the block to complete the comeback after an hour and 46 minutes of play.
“Nagkaroon sila ng kumpyansa, kasi nung una nagdududa sila sa sarili nila. Nung succeeding [sets], kaya pala. So dun sila kumuha ng lakas na kaya natin kahit kulang tayo,” added Mape.
Trevor Valera spearheaded UST–Gameville’s rally with 16 points on 10 attacks and six blocks, while Dela Vega added 15 points, all from attacks, along with 20 excellent receptions.
Umandal, Kris Hernandez, and Andrei Delicana each tallied nine points, while John Catinsag contributed eight.
The Golden Spikers overcame miscues throughout the match, allowing a total of 39 errors.
UST–Gameville had been at risk of missing the semifinals earlier in the day but secured their spot following Alpha Insurance’s loss to Criss Cross in the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Alpha Insurance, Premiere EMS, Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, and Arena Plus.
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Meanwhile, the Tamaraws finished in sixth place after falling to a 2-5 record.
Doula Ndongala had his best game of the tournament with 17 points, while Absin and Dryx Saavedra added 15 and 13 markers, respectively, in the loss.
Games are aired live on One Sports and One Sports+, with video-on-demand access available via the Pilipinas Live app. Matches are also streamed on spikersturf.ph.
