The Varsitarian

THE SAND remains an unconquered ground for the UST Spikers.

But all was not lost for the Espana-based crew’s Season 70 campaign as the Tiger Spikers managed to hack out a respectable third-place finish in the UAAP Beach Volleyball tournament, despite their female counterparts’ woeful performance.

Tiger Spikers Harby Ilano and Henry Pecaya digged their way to a modest 4-1 win-loss record with their only defeat coming from the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 22-20, 17-21, 10-15 last October 23 at the UE Caloocan sand courts.

“The men’s performance went well though we were aiming for something higher,” Tiger Spikers assistant coach Odjie Mamon told the Varsitarian.

After escaping by a whisker in the first set, UST squandered a 17-12 advantage, enabling the Warriors to surge ahead with a 5-0 barrage,17- 21, and arrange a winner-take-all third set.

Fired by their gusty comeback, the Warriors outmaneuvered the stuttering Tiger Spikers at every instance, building a 7-11 third-set lead which UST failed to surmount in the process.

Prior to their ouster, UST reaped its share of win-some, lose-some moments, conquering the National University Bulldogs via default through a late registration of players before yielding to defending champion Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 21-16,11-21,10-15, last September 15.

The Season 69 fifth-placers, though, registered back-to-back victories against the De La Salle Green Archers, 21-18,19-21,15-12 and the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 21-17, 21-12, last September 9 and 8, respectively.

Sleepwalking

While the Tiger Spikers raised their game two notches higher, the Lady Spikers uncharacteristically sleep-walked its way to the bottom, finishing at sixth with a 1-4 win-loss card.

The UST duo of Kimberly Lazaro and Jessica Curato absorbed their third straight loss at the hands of Ateneo de Manila, 9-21, 12-21 last September 16 to bow out of contention.

The Season 69 third-placers also surrendered against La Salle, 14-21, 16-21, and UE, 8-21,8-21, last September 15 and 9, respectively.

The Lady Spikers’ saving grace came only at the expense of the UP Fighting Maroons, which they swept, 21-14,21-18, to atone for their 11-21, 9-21 loss against the Adamson Lady Falcons last September 8.