Green Spikers sweep UE
The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers (7–3) claimed another victory as they swept the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors (1–9), 25–17, 25–11, 25–21 earlier today at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Noel Kampton paved the way for the victory against the Red Warriors, scoring a total of 17 points. His leadership on the game propelled the Lasallian squad to a valiant victory, where Nat Del Pilar and Vince Maglinao each scored eight points of their own to support Kampton’s masterclass. Angelo Reyes and Joshua Pozas fought hard to suppress the arrows from the Green Spikers, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively. However, despite the UE attempts, the Lasallians came out on top with the win.
The start of the first set was a tight battle, with both squads exchanging attacks and blocks. However, DLSU’s Maglinao and Billie Anima stepped on the gas to secure an early 7–4 lead to force a UE timeout. Despite UE’s efforts to re-strategize, the Lasallians continued to press on the Red Warriors, with Maglinao taking the lead and increasing their cushion to seven at 12–5. Reyes, Xjhann Camaymayan, and Joseph Bicar from the Red Warriors valiantly fought to cut the lead. Still, Maglinao, Kampton, and Yoyong Mendoza’s attacks proved to be a big hurdle, where the Lasallians took a commanding lead at 22–14 to force another timeout for the Red Warriors. As the first set came to a close, both squads once again traded plays. However, DLSU secured the first set with Mendoza’s cross-court attack, taking it at 25–17.
A similar introduction emerged in the second set, where DLSU’s Maglinao and UE’s Reyes exchanged blows at the net to lock at 2-all. As the game heated up, Anima, Del Pilar, Kampton, and Mendoza rained arrows on UE with kills and blocks to propel DLSU forward with a five-point cushion, 9–5, forcing UE to call time. After the timeout, the squad from Taft caught fire, creating a five-point run to increase the gap to nine. A long rally then emerged in the middle of the second set, where neither team gave up on the ball. Kampton saved a long ball from the Red Warriors, emerging into a point from Mendoza to convert the point, securing their lead of 10 at 17–7. UE once again fought their best with Bicar calling the shots, but the Lasallians capitalized on the lead and increased their cushion to 11 with Anima’s kill, forcing a Red Warriors timeout at 21–10. Looking to end the second set, the combination of Kampton, Rui Ventura, and Gene Poquita came up with back-to-back combination plays to secure the set with a commanding 14-point lead, 25–11.
Looking to make a comeback, John Aligayon from the Red Warriors propelled his team to an early 1–3 lead. However, the Lasallians heightened their senses to tie UE at 5-all with a Poquita-Anima quick attack. From then, each team pressured one another, causing exchanges that heated La Salle’s Ventura, Kampton, and Jules De Jesus with answers from UE’s Aligayon, Camaymayan, Pozas, and Reyes. The score was deadlocked multiple times until after 14-all, where Kampton suddenly erupted for two quick points that gave La Salle the lead. Down two, the Red Warriors emerged with an eruption of energy from Poxas to tie the game at 19, pressuring the squad from Taft. Despite the valiant effort, Kampton and Del Pilar scored back-to-back points to force a late UE timeout at 21–19. Pozas immediately scored a kill after the timeout, but La Salle answered with a three-point run led by Kampton and Eugene Gloria, leading at 23–20. Pozas attempted to cut the lead to catch the Green Spikers, but the latter proved too tough to beat, as DLSU soon secured the third set, 25–21, and the match in straight sets.
Catch the Green Spikers back in action on April 14, 12 PM, against the National University (NU) Bulldogs at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
Set scores: 25–17, 25–11, 25–21
Box score:
DLSU 3— Kampton 17, Del Pilar 8, Maglinao 8, Anima 6, Ventura 6, De Jesus 5, Mendoza 5, Gloria 2
UE 0— Reyes 11, Pozas 10, Aligayon 7, Camaymayan 6, Roca 2, Defeo 1, Maglay 1
