UAAP volleyball: UST men earns first semis berth

MANILA, Philippines – Defending champion University of Santo Tomas easily romped to a finals seat beating Ateneo, 25-19, 25-23, 25-20, Saturday in the Final Four round of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s volleyball tournament at The Arena in San Juan. Reny John Balse finished with 12 points while John Paul Torres had 10 as the Tigers continued their domination this season. The Tigers have now won 15 of their games on their way to the finals. Timothy Sto. Tomas had 12 points for Ateneo, which entered the Final Four for the first time in UAAP history. UST, though, will have to wait for its finals opponent. This after University of the Philippines forced a knockout match with a 25-18, 25-20, 25-22 win over second-seed La Salle Sunday. Rald Ricafort and Jan Paolo Martinez each had 10 points while Lloyd Belgado chipped in eight points for the Fighting Maroons, who fought off the Green Archers’ twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four. Chris Macasaet had 18 points for the Green Archers but the Fighting Maroons made a concerted effort to limit other scorers. The knockout match is set on Wednesday at The Arena. – GMANews.TV