UE MVT FINISHES SEASON WITH 5 WINS, BEST FINISH SINCE SEASON 72

BY PIOLO S. ALMOITE

AFTER a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors finished sixth in the UAAP Season 85 Men’s Volleyball Tournament, ahead of the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons and the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons, and significantly better than their 2-12 win-loss record in Season 81.

The Red Warriors dominated their opening game, winning 25-18, 25-22, and 25-14 over the Soarng Falcons at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. JM Andaya and Kenneth Culabat each scored 14 to lead the Red Warriors’ outburst, with the latter adding 16 great receptions and seven digs.

In their second game of the season, the Rectobased squad suffered their first heartbreaking defeat against the gritty Blue Eagles squad in a five-set match, 25-22, 25-20, 18-25, 22-25, 1510, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. Culabat scored 20 points built on 19 attacks and a service ace, while Mangahis registered 18 points coming from spikes. next years, despite some shortcomings on the team.

UE quickly bounced back into the winning column after dealing the Fighting Maroons their third-straight loss in a four-set rampage, 19-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22, at the Mall of Asia Arena. Philippine National Team member Lloyd Josafat tallied 13 points for UE, while Xjhann Camaymayan and John Paul Mangahis had 10 points apiece.

22-25, 6-15, at the PhilSports Arena.

In the second round of the tournament, the Jerome Guhit-coached squad exacted revenge and secured their third victory of the season as they upset the Tamaraws in a five-set thriller, 1925, 25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 15-10, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Andaya was named the game’s best player in the Battle of the East, leading the team with 17 points on 14 attacks, one block, and two aces.

The red-and-white team kept rolling, defeating the Soaring Falcons and Fighting Maroons twice at the end of the season.

“[The] last championship title in UE was UAAP season 38, 1975. I think the following seasons, UE has always been the best team in the UAAP, either 7th or 8th, and I can proudly say na 6th place kami ngayon. Lahat may potential sa team namin kaso lang there was a lack,” Solis stated.

He also claimed that the best thing that happened to the UE Red Warriors this season was that they could not be underestimated by the other UAAP teams in the tournament because they would fight until the end.

Facing the defending champions in their firstround clash of the season, the UE Red Warriors failed to end the NU Bulldogs’ 22-game winning streak in a five-set thriller, 25-22, 25-22, 14-25,

Veteran libero Aldwin Solis told the Dawn in an online interview that he was pleased with the UE MVT’s performance this season and sees potential for the UE volleyball program in the

“The best thing out of all is the thought na kapag UE ang kalaban, hindi mo pwedeng i-underestimate kasi lalaban at laban na ‘yan,” he added. TENNIS