UAAP men’s volleyball: FEU improves to 8-0, La Salle downs NU
FEU Tamaraws celebrate during a win over UST Golden Spikers in UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University swept rival University of Santo Tomas to keep its unbeaten run going while La Salle stopped defending champion National University in the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball second round on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
FEU upped its record to 8-0 after surviving a neck-and-neck duel in the first two sets before completing a 26-24, 25-23, 25-19 win.
The Tamaraws were on the verge of dropping the first set down, 21-24, before unloading five straight points powered by Mikko Espartero, Amet Bituin, and Ariel Cacao.
READ: UAAP men’s volleyball: FEU sweeps first round
FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo, Mikko Espartero, Ariel Cacao, and Vennie Ceballos talk about their 8-0 record. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/PI3LV7Hymy
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 23, 2025
FEU also overcame a tight contest in the second, tied at 23-all before Espartero and Jelord Talisayan closed out the set for a 2-0 lead and never looked back in the third to win in an hour and 25 minutes.
“We shouldn’t be contented. What happened in the sets, especially in the first and second sets, should remind us that until the match or set is officially over, we must not stop. There were times when we had momentum, but before the referee even blew the whistle, we were already stopping our movement. We need to clean that up, along with other aspects,” said FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo.
Espartero carried his impressive showing into the second round, leading the Tamaraws with 18 points, as Dryx Saavedra backstopped him with 15 points including two aces.
Cacao also shone with 28 excellent sets on top of two points, while rookie Vennie Ceballos had 12 excellent receptions and eight digs to complete an elimination-round sweep of UST.
“’We shouldn’t wait until we lose before we start grinding harder. That’s why I keep reminding them in every training session to give 100 percent because that will dictate how we perform in the actual game,” said Cacao.
UST absorbed its third straight loss, sliding to fifth place with a 4-4 record.
Two-time MVP Josh Ybañez led the charge with 15 points, while Jay Rack Dela Noche had 12 points as team’s leading scorer JJ Macam was held to just six points.
READ: UAAP men’s volleyball: FEU nears first-round sweep
La Salle coach Jose Roque, Noel Kampton, Vince Maglinao, and Eco Adajar after taking down NU. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/tg833w4Jzr
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) March 23, 2025
Meanwhile, La Salle stunned the ‘five-peat’-seeking NU, 25-22, 25-27, 25-21, 25-17, with setter Eco Adajar activating the 1-2 punch of Noel Kampton and Vince Maglinao.
Adajar orchestrated the Green Spikers’ balanced attack with 29 excellent sets on top of five points, feeding Kampton, who fired 25 points, and Maglinao providing 20 points and 17 excellent receptions.
“After our loss to FEU, that really motivated us because we felt that game was a missed opportunity. For the NU game, we proved that we can play at this level, so why not try to do it consistently to win more games,” Kampton said in Filipino.
Rui Ventura was also instrumental as La Salle survived a second-set meltdown, chipping in 14 points and 10 digs. Nat Del Pilar had seven, while Season 86 Best Libero Menard Guerrero protected the floor with 21 receptions and 16 digs.
La Salle improved to a 5-3 record, tying Ateneo at third, behind unbeaten FEU and NU, which slid to a 6-2 record.
“This is really important for us because if our goal is beyond the top four, we really need to win this. Luckily, we’ve been blessed. I always remind them that we need to be consistent to reach our standard,” said La Salle coach Jose Roque.
NU’s four-game winning streak was ended with Jade Disquitado leading the way with 15 points, 16 excellent receptions, and seven digs.
Buds Buddin was limited to 12 points to go with 12 excellent receptions and five digs, while Leo Aringo had 10 points.
