La Salle Green Spikers. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — La Salle turned back Ateneo, 25-18, 33-31, 25-22, to earn its second straight win in the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Noel Kampton shone in his first Ateneo-La Salle game as he led the Green Spikers’ balanced attack with 17 points off 14 spikes, two blocks, and one ace on top of 15 excellent receptions.
BJ Anima also stepped up for La Salle with 13 points, including a team-high five blocks. JM Ronquillo scattered 10 spikes, two blocks, and an ace to also finish with 13 markers, while Vince Maglinao added 11 points, 18 receptions, and seven digs.
La Salle coach Arnold Laniog was glad that they ended years of losing skid against Ateneo as they improved to 2-1 tied with University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University, and University of the East.
“One of our motivations is to get back at them. For the past years, every time our school faces them in all tournaments, we can’t win against them. So I told the boys our motivation is to get this win,” Laniog said in Filipino.
“Their team composition is very young but even in the previous V-League. We still can’t win against them. I’m glad that our players were able to pull it off,” he added.
After convincingly taking the opening set, the Green Spikers needed to stave off the gritty Blue Eagles in the extended second set and come back from a 21-19 deficit in the third.
La Salle scored three straight points to take a 22-21 lead in the third before Ken Batas’ cross-court kill stopped the bleeding and tied the set. Maglinao’s kill and Anima’s quick attack to reach match point, 24-22, followed by Jian Salarzon’s attack error that sealed their victory.
Ateneo slid to a 1-2 record, failing to sustain its momentum from a five-set win over UE last Wednesday.
Salarzon led the Blue Eagles with 14 points, including four blocks. Batas finished with 13 points, while Abai Llenos added 10 markers.