The University of Santo Tomas Golden Spikers outclassed the De La Salle University Green Spikers, 25-21, 25-20, 25-16, to claim their second-straight victory at the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Popoy Colinares stepped up for the Golden Spikers, racking up 17 points on 11 attacks, five blocks, and a service ace, while Jay Rack De La Noche and Jan Macam finished with 12 and 10 points respectively.

The Green Spikers gained the lead early in the first set but efforts from the Golden Spikers helped UST claim an early four-point lead in the first set, 14-10.

UST continued to hammer down on the Green Spikers as a couple of one-two combinations from De La Noche sealed the first set for the Golden Spikers, 25-21.

Attack errors from the Golden Spikers gave DLSU an early advantage to start the second salvo, 6-10, but a barrage of blocks from Colinares triggered a monstrous 9-0 run for the Golden Spikers to gain a three-point lead, 14-11.

The Golden Spikers kept their momentum during the waning moments of the second set as a kill from Alche Gupiteo and a strike from Colinares gave UST a two-set advantage over DLSU, 25-20.

Both schools engaged in a see-saw match to start the third set but an attack from Eric Layug and a mishit from De La Noche gave the Taft-based squad a slim two-point margin against UST, 9-7.

Colinares and Jan Macam again sparked a 6-0 run to give the Golden Spikers back the lead, 13-9.

Macam continued to fire service aces against DLSU to further widen the lead, 23-15 while an attack from Colinares and a block from Gupiteo ensured the sweep against the Green Spikers, 25-16.

“It speaks for itself… magaan sila sa court, although lumamang yung kalaban [and] prng na-pressure [kami] on our part, [pero] hindi na ako takot mag-enlist ng key player kasi everyone is a key player [on this team],” UST head coach Ogie Mamon said on the team’s victory.

“Nasaktan po kami nung game one, sabi ko sa sarili ko hindi na pwede maulit yun, sabi rin po ng coaches ko hindi lang naman sa game nakikita yung magandang performance eh, dapat mas nakikita yun sa ensayo,” Colinares added.

Layug, Noel Kampton, Michael Fortuna, and Chris Hernandez were all limited to just six points in the losing effort.

The Golden Spikers now hold a 3-1 win-loss record and are set to clash against the Adamson Soaring Falcons on Saturday, March 1, in the same venue.