University of the East refused to go down without a fight as it outlasted National University Nazareth School in a marathon, 18-25, 17-25, 27-25, 26-24, 15-11, Game 2 victory to force a title decider in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 86 boys’ volleyball finals Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan.
The top-seeded Junior Red Warriors came back from a two-set hole to tie the best-of-three series to one game apiece.
UE, gunning for a league-best 14th title, and NUNS, shooting for its fifth, go for all the marbles on Monday at the same venue.
“I told the kids that if you want your high school to have a memorable end, this is it. That we have to win and we can’t lose today,” UE head coach Raffy Mosuela said.
“In the second set, I just tried to study and make adjustments in the game and kept motivating my team.”
The Junior Red Warriors fended off the Bullpups rally in the fifth set that leveled the frame at 10.
Outside hitter Lance Babon took control off the 5-1 finishing kick, scoring four on smart plays before captain Jan Macam finished the two-hour-and-45-minute battle.
The Bullpups turned up the aggression at the start of the match and punished the defensive lapses on the side of the Junior Red Warriors in the first two sets.
As the UE defense was in disarray, NUNS took advantage on the counter with Matthew Abut and Kart Lascuña finding their marks. The Season 82 champions also saw Miguel Egger and Dave Lardizabal scoring from the middle.
The Bullpups also capitalized on Macam’s stint on the opposite side with Abut denying the Junior Red Warriors skipper’s attempts.
Mosuela, though, switched to putting his captain and the Season 85 Best Outside Hitter back on the left side and the adjustment eventually made wonders.
Down 21-22 at the tail-end of the fourth, Babon and Macam scored two straight kills from combination plays to snag the lead.
Abut leveled the set but the Bullpups could not get to finish the job. However, Macam did so for UE with back-to-back cross-court bombs sealing the deal and setting up the comeback.
NUNS won the opener, 39-37, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21.
Meanwhile, opposite hitter Jancriz Ayco became the first-ever University of Santo Tomas student-athlete to win the coveted Season Most Valuable Player.
The Grade 11 winger paced the Junior Golden Spikers in its fourth-place finish.
“I didn’t expect to win this award because there are a lot of other deserving players,” the Cadiz-born spiker, who played his first season, said.
“But I will use this as motivation to be better and to improve my skills and do the right things inside the court,” he added.
Ayco also copped Best Opposite Hitter as teammates Paolo Medino and Sean Cruz took one of the Best Outside Hitter and Best Middle Blocker trophies, respectively.
Miguel Egger of NUNS was adjudged as one of the Best Middle Blockers for the second straight year.
Far Eastern University-Diliman captain Rhodson Du-ot added the Best Setter award this season to his resume after winning the Finals MVP trophy in Season 85.
Adamson University’s future is bright with Grade 10 defensive specialist John Ian Guevarra taking Best Libero in a great season for the Baby Falcons.
