On home court, Yauco takes a 2-0 lead in LVSM finals

Brandon Rattray led Yauco with 16 points. (Heriberto Rosario Rosa/FPV)

By THE STAR STAFF

The Cafeteros of Yauco once again transformed Raúl “Pipote” Oliveras Coliseum into a fortress on Saturday night, defeating the two-time defending champion Caribes of San Sebastián in five sets to take a 2-0 lead in the Men’s Superior Volleyball League (LVSM by it initials in Spanish) Final Series.

For the second consecutive night, the match went the distance. Yauco emerged victorious with set scores of 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 20-25 and 15-13, in a match played in front of a packed house of 4,000 fans and marked by momentum swings, key plays and an electric atmosphere that never let up.

Caribes force a 5th set

San Sebastián managed to extend the match to the deciding set after a fourth set in which they rallied from a 12-10 deficit at the technical timeout. With a 6-1 run, fueled by attacks from Ezequiel Cruz and Anthony Negrón, as well as an ace from Howard García, the Caribes took control of the final stretch to close out 25-20 and force a fifth set.

A dramatic finish

In the final and deciding set, the Caribes were up 9-6, but couldn’t hold the lead. Three consecutive attacks, one from Diego Negrón from position two and two from Brandon Rattray, brought Yauco back into the game, and another successful spike by Rattray made the score 12-10 in favor of the Cafeteros. Rattray finished the job with an attack from zone two to seal the 15-13 victory.

Asked whether the best-of-seven series is practically decided after the two five-set wins, Rookie of the Year outside hitter Axel Meléndez of Yauco was clear:

“No, we have to keep preparing,” he said. “The Caribes have a very good team. Even though we’re up 2-0, we have to keep practicing to improve our weaknesses and prepare ourselves.”

On the opposing side, libero Engel Mieses acknowledged that San Sebastián hasn’t managed to play at its best in crucial moments.

“They’ve been good games, but there’s a complex aspect that prevents us from fully clicking as a team. I think there’s an emotional issue,” he said. “The overload after the days off has been tough. In my case, I’ve been playing with an ankle injury and I know I haven’t been at 100%. It hurts because I know I can give more.”

Mieses also highlighted Yauco’s execution in the closing moments:

“Yauco is a great team and they’re being more decisive than us at the end of the sets,” he said. “That’s what has given them the victory.”

Offensive production

Rattray and Diego Negrón led the Cafeteros offense with 16 and 12 points, respectively. For San Sebastián, Corey Chavers had 22 points, followed by Pelegrín Vargas with 14 and Anthony Negrón with 10.

What’s next

The series moves to Luis Aymat Cardona Coliseum in San Sebastián today, for an 8 p.m. match.