La Salle stuns NU, climbs to share of fourth

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La Salle stuns NU, climbs to share of fourth image

Photo: UAAP

By Nate Castillo

De La Salle University pulled off a shocker over six-peat-seeking National University, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 15-10, to end the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 men’s volleyball tournament first round on a roll Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Photo: UAAP

Yoyong Mendoza stepped into the plate in the deciding set, pounding the crucial hits, including the game-winning kill, as the Green Spikers racked up three straight victories to climb to a share of fourth with Ateneo de Manila University with 3-4 win-loss record.

Photo: UAAP

Mendoza scored four of his 12 points in the fifth frame for La Salle, which recovered from a 0-4 start of the tournament and defeated the Bulldogs for the second straight head-to-head match since the second round of Season 87.

“I just reminded the team to just play one game at a time. It doesn’t matter what the result of the game is as long as we play hard and give it all, somehow, we got the result we wanted,” Green Spikers coach Jose Roque said.

Photo: UAAP

Chris Hernandez finished with 18 points on 14 kills, two blocks and two aces for La Salle. Eugene Gloria and Issa Ousseini added 14 markers each for the Green Spikers, who got 38 free points off NU’s errors.

Photo: UAAP

Ousseini sparked a 5-2 run to break a 5-5 tie in the fifth set for a 10-6 lead. Leo Ordiales scored back-to-back kills to push the Bulldogs to within one, 10-9.

Mendoza had consecutive kills to ignite a 4-0 blast as La Salle moved at match point, 14-9. Peng Taguibolos saved a match point before Mendoza’s finishing blow.

The Bulldogs suffered a second loss in seven games, tying University of Santo Tomas for second place behind unbeaten Far Eastern University (7-0).

Ordiales had 22 points on 22 kills and two kill blocks while Jade Disquitado and Buds Buddin had 18 and 13 markers, respectively.

Meanwhile, Adamson University withstood a 35-point explosion from Olayemi Raheem to edge the University of the Philippines, 25-21, 28-26, 22-25, 25-27, 15-13, and snap a five-game slide.

The Falcons tied the Fighting Maroons, 2-5, in sixth to seventh.

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