La Salle, UST remain unbeaten in V-League Collegiate Challenge

De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas kept their winning streaks intact in the 2025 V-League Collegiate Challenge, dispatching their opponents in contrasting styles Tuesday, August 12, at the Paco Arena Sports and Events Center.

The Green Spikers fended off a late scare to sweep National University, 21-17, 21-15, 33-31, for their second straight win. La Salle nearly let a 22-18 lead slip in the third set, but Cameroonian middle blocker Issa Ousseini delivered a crucial service ace to reach match point. 

Ousseini posted nine points from four attacks, four blocks, and an ace, including two excellent  digs. Eugene Gloria and MJ Fortuna also tallied nine markers apiece, while timely contributions from bench players Rui Ventura and Yoyong Mendoza helped seal the win.

Coach Jose Roque said he challenged his team to show growth from their opening match. 

“I only told the team one thing before the game — to see if we can perform better than in our first match, so we have a gauge if we’re improving or not. No pressure because this is just pre-competition. Winning is just a reward; what matters is moving well and showing something on the court,” Roque explained.

Mac Bandiola led NU with 14 points, all from attacks, while Jan Abanilla chipped in seven.

Meanwhile, the UST Golden Spikers shook off a slow start to turn back NCAA runner-up Colegio de San Juan de Letran in four sets, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-21, also improving to 2-0.

Opposite hitter Al Bukharie Sali powered UST’s comeback with 21 markers off 16 attacks, three blocks, and two aces, supported by Gboy De Vega and JJ Macam, who tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively. Skipper Dux Yambao orchestrated the offense with 20 excellent sets, fueling UST’s 57 attack points.

Assistant coach Benjamin Mape, filling in for Alas Pilipinas Men mentor Odjie Mamon, credited the win to the team’s late surge. 

“We couldn’t underestimate Letran — they’re the NCAA first runner-up. They started slow, but in the end, they matched the pace. We managed to recover,” Mape said.

UST broke an 18-all deadlock in the fourth with a decisive 7-3 closing run, highlighted by Macam’s 5-0 service stretch. Letran saved two match points before Sali hammered the game-winning kill.

For winless Letran (0-2), Max Lopez scored 11, while captain Vince Himzon was held to five.