Photo from UAAP Media Bureau
MANILA – The De La Salle Green Spikers halted their two-game losing skid with a huge five-set win over the FEU Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament.
The Green Spikers came back from 1-2 down against the fancied Tamaraws for a 25-22, 25-27, 20-25, 25-21, 15-12 victory at the Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday.
La Salle bounced back after two straight defeats against the still unbeaten NU Bulldogs for a 5-4 record while FEU dropped their card to 6-3 and stayed at third place.
Leading the firepower for the Green Spikers was JM Ronquillo with 22 points on 20 attacks and two blocks.
Down by a set heading into the fourth, La Salle broke away from a 13 deadlock with a 6-3 spurt after several errors by the Tamaraws, 19-16.
FEU tried to comeback with a block by Mark Calado, 20-22, but Ronquillo answered with back-to-back crosscourt attacks, 24-20. He, then, ended it with a down-the-line spike to force a deciding set.
La Salle carried the momentum in the fifth, erecting a 6-2 lead, capped by a push from Vince Maglinao.
The Tamaraws had one final push down the stretch as Zhydryx Saavedra and Martin Bugaoan scored to trail, 11-13.
A quick hit by Billie Anima put La Salle at match point but FEU saved one after a serve error. Noel Kampton, who finished the game with 23 points, ended the thrilling game with a through-the-block kill.
Calado tallied a game-high 28 points while Saavedra contributed 23 markers for the Tamaraws.
UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.