Baby Falcon spikers end first round on high note after conquest of DLSZ
Date Posted: October 17, 2024 at 04:21 PM
The Baby Falcons closed out the first round of the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys' Volleyball Tournament with a commanding straight-set win over De La Salle Zobel, 25-16, 25-17, 25-17, on October 13 at the Paco Arena in Manila.
Jims Ducusin led the Baby Falcons with an impressive 16-point performance, delivering 13 attacks and two blocks in the 62-minute match. Teammates Brice Malinao and Neil Tobias also made key contributions, adding nine and seven points, respectively, while James Javinal orchestrated the offense with 13 excellent sets.
The victory improved Adamson's record to 4-3, putting them ahead of Far Eastern University-Diliman (3-4) in the race for the last Final Four spot.
Both teams traded points early in the third set before the Baby Falcons found their rhythm and went on an eight-point run to establish an 18-11 lead. Zobel struggled to close the gap, with Jaspher Oligo's attack bringing Adamson to match point, followed by Arvin Pon-an sealing the win with a kill to end the set, 25-17.
In the post-game interview, AdU head coach Marvin Ramoso stated that the team's primary concern was minimizing errors, particularly in service and receiving, which had been an ongoing issue. He added that the players tended to become complacent when leading, allowing their opponents to catch up, something they needed to work on before entering the second round.
Ramoso also emphasized the importance of maintaining focus going into the next stage of the tournament, especially with the return of key players, Pon-an, who is recovering from a broken nose, Dhanver Custodio, who had an ankle injury, and Kirk Partosa, who recently recuperated from dengue.
Now with a complete team, he remains optimistic that his team can give a better performance in the second-round of competition and boost their chances of improving their performance last season.
