ATENEO de Manila University secured its third straight win, defeating Adamson University 25-21, 19-25, 25-16, 25-17 in the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament at Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.

Kennedy Batas led the Blue Eagles with 20 points and 11 receptions.

Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas  ended its three-game losing streak with a 25-22, 25-22, 16-25, 25-22 victory over De La Salle University.

Josh Ybañez scored 21 points, including six aces, to fuel UST’s much-needed win.

Ateneo’s Batas, along with Jian Matthew Salarzon (19 points) and Amil Pacinio Jr. (15 points), helped their team improve to 6-3, placing them third behind Far Eastern University (9-0) and National University (7-2). UST and La Salle share fourth at 5-4.

Batas attributed the win to the team’s resilience and focus. “We just reminded ourselves not to get discouraged after a sluggish second set,” he said. Ateneo coach Vince Mangulabnan praised his players’ work ethic: “A win is a win, no matter how many sets it takes.”

In UST’s match, coach Odjie Mamon celebrated his birthday with a victory, emphasizing the team’s growth: “We worked on closing out games, and it paid off today,” he said. Despite La Salle’s Noel Kampton’s career-high 30 points, UST’s defense and timely points in the fourth set sealed the win.

Both teams now look forward to continuing their momentum in the race for playoff spots.