Manila: University of Santo Tomas pulled off a stunning 30-28, 25-18, 22-25, 25-23 victory over defending champion National University at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Wednesday to force a playoff for the second seed and the twice-to-beat incentive in the UAAP Season 88 men's volleyball tournament. The Golden Spikers and the Bulldogs ended the double-round elimination tied for second with similar 10-4 win-loss cards.
According to Philippines News Agency, UST will enter the playoff on a four-game winning streak, while NU dropped its last two matches in the elimination round. UST head coach Odjie Mamon stated, "I only did two things. The first one was to introduce fresh legs, and the second one was to remind them not to put pressure on themselves. That fourth set, we were up by two sets, why are they putting pressure on them? I think that's the main point of the fourth set."
NU raced to a 13-6 advantage in the fourth set behind Choi Diao and Buds Buddin, but Season 87 Rookie of the Year JJ Macam drilled a crosscourt hit, Sherwin Umandal converted a through-the-block attack, while Josh Yba±ez delivered a spike that sealed the win after one hour and 52 minutes. Yba±ez, who delivered 27 points, 26 excellent receptions, and six digs, expressed his belief in Umandal, stating, "I always believe in [Sherwin] really ever since we were rookies and in our sophomore year. I really see that he's just waiting for the time to prove people wrong that he can do it. I am so happy he performed like that."
Trevor Valera added 17 points followed by rookie Joncriz Ayco (10), Umandal (9), Gboy de Vega (8), and Vryvin Catinsag (6). Skipper Dux Yambao dished out 31 excellent sets, while sophomore libero Edriel Alabar had 14 receptions and 12 digs. Leo Ordiales led NU with 17 points and three excellent digs. Congolese middle blocker Obed Mukaba chipped in 16 points, while Buddin and Jade Disquitado contributed 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Earlier, top seed Far Eastern University No. 4 survived Ateneo de Manila University, 29-27, 25-23, 15-25, 25-19, ahead of their semis duel. Amet Bituin had 21 points, 14 receptions and six excellent digs, while Dryx Saavedra added 16 points for FEU, sporting a 13-1 slate and twice-to-beat advantage. Nigerian wing spiker Aimar Okeke scored 24 points followed by Jian Salarzon (13) and Season 87 MVP Kennedy Batas (10) points for the Blue Eagles, who finished the eliminations with a 7-7 slate.
