La Salle Green Spikers’ Noel Kampton. –UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—La Salle clinched a ticket to the stepladder semifinals of the UAAP Season 85 men’s volleyball tournament after outlasting University of the East in four sets, 25-16, 23-25, 25-13, 25-22, at San Juan Arena on Saturday.
The Green Spikers finished with an 8-6 record in the elimination round to secure a semifinals appearance for the first time since 2013 in UAAP’s Season 75.
However, with the Bulldogs sweeping the elimination phase earlier on Saturday, La Salle will have to face either Far Eastern University (7-6) or Ateneo (7-7) for the right to face the second-seeded University of Santo Tomas (10-3) in a knockout match for the last Finals seat.
“I always challenge my players that if they’re asking us what we want from them, we say that we want to reach the Final Four but in the end, it’s their call because they’re the ones who play,” told coach Arnold Laniog in Filipino.
After a strong showing in the first set, 25-16, La Salle dropped a tight second set to put the game at a 1-1 pedestal.
However, the Green Spikers put all hands on deck in the final two sets, not giving UE much breathing room after zooming to a 14-5 opening blitz in the penultimate frame.
UE showed some spirit in the fourth set with an 11-6 opening rally themselves, only for the Green Spikers to retaliate with a 12-7 run to tie the set at 18-all.
The Red Warriors then succumbed to three straight errors to fuel La Salle to the finish line, 25-22.
Noel Kampton spearheaded the Green Spikers with 20 points while Vince Maglinao and John Mark Ronquillo finished with 14 points each.
Joshua Pozas and Kenneth Culabat ended their Season 85 on a high note with 17 markers a piece for the Red Warriors. John Michael Andaya chipped in 11 points in a losing effort for the also-ran UE, which ended its campaign with a 5-9 card.