De La Salle University is the first team to secure its place in the semifinals of the 2025 V-League Collegiate Challenge.
The Green Spikers got it done in thrilling fashion, stunning defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) in five sets, 29-27, 25-14, 12-25, 21-25, 15-13, on Saturday, August 30, at the Paco Arena Sports and Events Center.
It was a measure of revenge for the Taft spikers, who lost to the Tamaraws when they faced off in the finals of last year’s tournament.
They turned the tables on FEU this time around to extend their winning streak to five matches.
Captain JJ Rodriguez and Eugene Gloria came through in crunch time for La Salle, with Rodriguez denying Mikko Espartero’s attack on a broken play to shatter a 13-all deadlock.
Gloria went on to seal the win with a powerful backrow hit, ending the two-hour, 29-minute battle in La Salle’s favor.
“Siguro one thing [na nagwo-work] ngayon is the mere fact na we’re young, so parang nagkakaisa sila. Walang seniority, na parang as one team they see to it na nagkakaintindihan sila,” said Jose Roque, who has steered the Green Spikers program for three years now.
“Siguro ‘yun ang naging edge namin nitong mga games namin, na nagagampanan namin ‘yung trabaho namin na mas madali silang umintindi. Rather na merong senior, may sobrang bata,” he added.
That team chemistry was on full display early, with Ezer Regidor finding his offensive rhythm while Win Retiro anchored the defense that converted into transition points, fueling La Salle’s 2-0 set advantage.
But FEU showed why they remain a powerhouse, as Dryx Saavedra and Espartero came alive in the third and fourth frames while Rhodson Duot steadied the offense, forcing a decider.
In the end, though, it was La Salle’s night. Ousseini once again imposed his dominance, pouring in 23 points built on 19 attacks, three blocks, and one service ace.
Supporting him was Chris Hernandez, whose all-around brilliance proved crucial — finishing with 16 points (13 spikes, two blocks and one ace) plus 21 excellent receptions that stabilized the Green Spikers’ floor defense.
La Salle will aim for a sixth straight win when it faces rival Ateneo de Manila University (3-2) next Saturday, September 6, at 12:00 noon.
On the other hand, Saavedra still stood tall for FEU with 21 points on 19 attacks and two blocks, while Lirick Mendoza added 17 markers, highlighted by a game-high seven blocks.
The Tamaraws (3-1) will try to bounce back against fellow 3-1 contender University of Santo Tomas earlier that same day at 10:00 a.m. (ABS-CBN News)