MANILA (UPDATED) – It’s gonna be University of Santo Tomas against National University in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball finals.

This, as the UST Golden Spikers crushed the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws, 25-18, 25-22, 25-21, in the stepladder semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum Sunday.

It will be the first since UAAP Season 74 that UST will enter the Finals in men’s volleyball.

“Siyempre sobrang saya kasi nga naibalik namin ulit yung final appearance sa UST and of course kinausap kasi kami ng mga alumni namin kahapon and sobrang laking tulong nun they shared about their experiences before kung paano sila nag-champion,” super rookie Josh Ybanez said after the game.

The Golden Spikers played without opposite hitter Jay Rack dela Noche and head coach Odjie Mamon, who are both part of the Philippine men’s volleyball team competing in the Cambodia SEA Games.

Gboy de Vega powered the Golden Spikers with 16 points on 14 attacks and two aces while Josh Ybañez added 15.

The two players also got solid support from Rainier Flor and Emman Dedoroy, who both tallied with 11 markers.

After building a 2-0 set lead, UST did not let FEU to gain any momentum, keeping the Tamaraws at bay all throughout the third frame.

With game tied at 15, Dedoroy went for an off-the-block spike before Lorence Cruz scored an ace for a 17-15 breather.

A block by Flor to scoring leader Mark Calado gave UST a 20-17 gap. Ybanez contributed in the blocking department with a solo rejection to FEU for a 23-19 cushion.

Calado would save one match point off a sharp crosscourt hit but Ybañez quickly answered back with a pipe kill.

Calado was limited to just 12 points to lead the Tamaraws – the only FEU player to score in double digits.

It was also a tight Set 2 for both teams as they kept on exchanging points until they reached 22-all. An error from FEU followed by a block by Flor put UST at set point, 24-22.

Calado, then, hammered a back row hit but it sailed out to see FEU in a 0-2 hole.

The Golden Spikers will face the unbeaten and three-peat seeking Bulldogs in the best-of-three Finals series beginning May 10, Wednesday.

UAAP Season 85 is streaming on iWantTFC every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, available for Premium users outside the Philippines.