Alarich Catayoc of USJ-R rolls on the floor after trying to save the ball in a game against USP-F at the USC gym (CDN PHOTO/Lito Tecson)
THE SHORT-HANDED University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers had to be awaken midway through the game before clawing back from a set down to defeat the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, 15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 26-24, in the Cesafi men’s volleyball tournament yesterday at the University of San Carlos (USC) main Gym.
The win was the Panthers’ second in three games to take solo second place in the team standings of this annual school-based tournament.
USPF, which is missing the services of their former captain Left John Tormis due to confidential reasons, started slow as they were unable to contain Jaguars hitters Kent Verbosidad and Roj Pacio, who exploded for a total of 10 hits in taking the opening set.
The Jaguars continued to do damage in the next set as they took a five-point lead, 20-15, late in the second.
It was at this point that USPF mentor Cecil Jotojot called for a timeout to remind his players to tighten their defense.
“I was mad at them because they were not playing defense so I shouted,” Jotojot said. “I’m glad it worked.”
The Panthers answered the call with a blistering 10-3 run capped off by a double block by Breneo Sedurifa and Bagany Abenido to tie the game at one set apiece.
USPF continued their stellar play in the third with a 13-11 start before finishing off the Jaguars with another 12-9 run.
The Jaguars got back in the fourth as they surged to a 13-9 start punctuated by Fred Edloy’s spike. But the Panthers were able to weather the storm as they banked on the heroics of Ryan Naranjo, who scored the last three points in a crucial 16-11 Panthers run to give his team a precarious one-point lead, 25-24. An error by the Jaguars in the next sequence sealed the win.
In the boys division, defending champions USJ-R Baby Jaguars survived a three-set thriller against the Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC) Baby Greywolves, 26-28, 25-15, 25-20, while the comebacking SWU Baby Cobras pounded newbie Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Wildkittens in straight sets, 25-22, 25-22.