By Yra S. Suarin
Past midnight, the lights blazed, the crowd roared, and the ball flew across the net.
In the end, the College of Engineering and Design (CED) Raptors harnessed lethal offenses and impenetrable defenses to outlast the College of Business Administration (CBA) Golden Bees, finishing out a 3-2 victory to claim the 2026 All-University Intramurals men’s volleyball crown on Feb. 20 at the Silliman Gymnasium.
The Raptors spelled out the endgame for the Golden Bees when they consecutively unleashed earth-shattering spikes during the last set, leaving their foes flat-footed and struggling to respond.
Before the awe-inspiring comeback of the red-clad Raptors, the two teams exchanged a head-turning rally with CED’s ferocious spikes slammed back by the CBA blockers.
Both factions traded relentless attacks in a high-energy opening frame, but the Raptors finally broke the rally with a critical set-point block to slip past the Bees, 25-23.
Early in the second set, the CBA players looked unfocused when they lost their rhythm as a flurry of service and net errors sparked a 5-0 run for CED, leaving the CBA squad visibly rattled.
CED’s Klynt Ariosa torched the Golden Bees’ defense with clever placements, spotting every opening to score two crucial points and seal the second set for the red team.
With victory within reach, the Raptors eased off slightly, and the Golden Bees seized the moment, channeling their teamwork to snatch the first two points of the third set to keep their championship hopes alive.
Capitalizing on CED’s errors, CBA seized control with a balanced attack and elite floor defense, their precision at the net and at the line allowed them to cruise to a commanding 25-13 set win.
Coming off the embarrassing gap from the previous set, the Raptors found their footing with a rapid-fire scoring burst that allowed them to surge ahead and gain consecutive scores, 3-0.
As the clock struck midnight, the Golden Bees decoded the Raptors’ offensive patterns and neutralized their attacks with a stifling defensive stand led by CBA’s Eljohn Isolan to ultimately claim the set, 25-18
In the deciding set, CED’s Dale Ting transformed from a liability into a powerhouse, redeeming his earlier errors with back-to-back thunderous spikes and a clinical service ace to narrow ahead, 3-2.
Unfortunately for the Golden Bees, the Raptors went berserk and hammered the final nail to their coffin when CED’s AJ Baro displayed an authoritative spike that shattered the Bees’ defenses, sealing the 15-11 victory.
