UST bags third straight beach volleyball title
University of Santo Tomas dominance continues as it ruled the UAAP men’s beach volleyball tournament for the third straight season after dismantling the National University squad, 28-26, 21-15, on Sunday, June 5 at Sands SM By The Bay.
The Tiger Spikers remain as the league’s winningest squad, totaling six titles and their third straight title in the UAAP.
Rancel Varga and Jaron Requinton proved to be the strongest of them all as they survived the gutsy plays of NU, especially in the first set, to escape with the win.
Varga had the heroic plays at the first set to bring the momentum to their side as he delivered the go-ahead kill that broke the 26-26 tie while playing in front of his family and friends who flew all the way from Cebu over the weekend.
Varga was then named the tournament MVP for the second straight season.
“The MVP is just a bonus. Our goal is really to win the championship, the three-peat,” Varga said in Filipino.
“I’m very happy because my family is here and they witnessed what we worked hard for the past years,” he added.
Requinton, a two-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist, was listed as the third player but was able to get the job done after he was fielded at the end of the eliminations to help UST’s cause for title-retention.
“It was challenging because I was a defender for the national team, but when I entered the training bubble in UST, I needed to adjust as a blocker,” Requinton said in Filipino.
Varga gave props to Requinton for his smooth transition.
“I’m so proud of him because he accepted and embraced his role from defender to blocker.”
Requinton however, deflects the credit to coach Efraem Dimaculangan as he orchestrated the wins in four of their first five matches, bouncing back from an opening day loss to NU.
Tags: #UAAP, #beach volleyball, #UST, #sports