The UE Red Warriors defeated the La Salle Green Spikers in straight sets, 25-21, 28-26, 26-24, in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the Quadricentennial Pavilion. With the win, the Red Warriors eliminated the Green Spikers from Final Four contention.
In the third set, the Red Warriors looked poised to close out the match early after building a 13-5 lead and reaching match point, 24-20. However, the Green Spikers answered with a four-point run to tie the game at 24-all. UE stayed composed in the endgame, as Raquim Aceron delivered a crosscourt hit before an attack error from Eugene Gloria sealed the victory.
“We were short of our main goal, which is to enter the Final Four, but we did not stop na mag-ensayo pa rin nang maayos to win games, kasi it’s character building for the team,” said Red Warriors assistant coach Jumbo Dimaculangan. “We needed na makakuha ng win para to gain more confidence na magagamit pa namin, dahil may isang game pa kami.”
Raquim Aceron Shows Way for UE
Aceron led the Red Warriors with 19 points built on 17 attacks and 2 blocks, along with 22 excellent receptions, while Roy Piojo added 14 points.
Setter Jio Rada recorded 13 excellent sets, while libero Carl Nabora finished the match with 13 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs.
For the Green Spikers, Issa Ousseini led the team with 16 points, while Yoyong Mendoza and Eugene Gloria added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Red Warriors will next face the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Saturday, April 18, at 9:00 a.m. at the Quadricentennial Pavilion. Meanwhile, the Green Spikers will close their campaign against the defending champions, NU Bulldogs, on Sunday, April 19, at 11:00 a.m. at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
