La Salle Secures Final 4 Spot in UAAP Men's Volleyball with Win Over Adamson

The De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers defeated the Adamson University Soaring Falcons in straight sets, 26-24, 25-17, 25-23, to secure a spot in the Final Four of the UAAP Season 86 men's volleyball tournament. The victory on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City also boosted La Salle's bid for a twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals.

With the win, La Salle improved its record to 9-3, tying defending champions National University Bulldogs for second place in the standings. Team captain JM Ronquillo led the Green Spikers with 16 points, while Noel Kampton and Vince Maglinao contributed 12 and 11 points respectively.

The match was closely contested, with the Green Spikers overcoming early challenges to take control in the latter stages of each set. "We are happy with the team's performance, but we are not fully convinced yet," said La Salle head coach Jose Roque. "We will try our best to finish the last two games well."

Adamson, which was eliminated from Final Four contention with a 4-8 record, had Jude Christian Aguilar as their top scorer with nine points. No Soaring Falcon ended in double digits.

In the other match of the day, the top-seeded Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws rallied past the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors, 25-17, 17-25, 28-26, 25-19. Dryx Saavedra led FEU with 16 points as they rose to an 11-1 record, assuring themselves of at least a playoff for a twice-to-beat bonus in the Final Four.

La Salle will face rivals Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles on April 21 in a pivotal matchup, as Ateneo is fighting with University of Santo Tomas for the last semifinal ticket. The Green Spikers will also play UST in their remaining second round games before the playoffs.

In the UAAP women's volleyball tournament, the La Salle Lady Spikers defeated the Adamson Lady Falcons to force a three-way tie for the top spot with a 10-2 record alongside National University and University of Santo Tomas. Shevana Laput led La Salle with 24 points in the victory that puts them in a strong position to secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four.

La Salle head coach Jose Roque emphasized the need for the Green Spikers to focus on their remaining elimination round games before aiming for the twice-to-beat incentive in the semifinals. "We are taking it one game at a time," Roque said. "Our goal is to finish the second round strong and hopefully carry that momentum into the Final Four."

Key Takeaways

• DLSU Green Spikers defeated Adamson in straight sets, securing Final Four spot.
• DLSU tied NU Bulldogs for 2nd place with 9-3 record, eyeing twice-to-beat advantage.
• FEU Tamaraws rallied past UE Red Warriors, assuring themselves of at least a playoff for twice-to-beat.
• DLSU Lady Spikers defeated Adamson, tying NU and UST for top spot in women's volleyball.
• DLSU aiming to finish elimination round strong and carry momentum into Final Four.