University of Santo Tomas (UST) head coach Odjie Mamon took full responsibility for his team’s heartbreak after the Golden Spikers’ 14-year title drought continued in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament.

UST saw its championship hopes shattered once more by longtime tormentor National University (NU), falling in straight sets — 23-25, 23-25, 23-25 — in their do-or-die Final Four match on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The loss denied the Golden Spikers a chance to return to the finals and challenge Far Eastern University (FEU) in the title series.

“This is still the best lineup of the Golden Spikers ever — I just wasn’t able to polish their potential to the maximum,” Mamon said.

“It’s bitter because we had expectations this year. I removed the ‘manage your expectations’ mindset, unlike in the two previous seasons when we made the finals.”

UST settled for a bronze-medal finish — its first since Season 77 in 2015 — a step-down from its back-to-back runner-up finishes in Seasons 85 and 86.

Still, Mamon underscored the adversity they had to overcome to make it to the podium.

The Golden Spikers entered Season 87 with a revamped roster designed to compete with top-tier teams like NU, FEU and De La Salle University.

They retained a formidable core led by two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player (MVP) Josh Ybanez, Gboy de Vega, Poy Colinares, Dux Yambao and Jay Rack de La Noche, while adding key contributor in libero Edriel Alabar.

But the campaign was far from smooth. UST suffered a huge blow early in the season when Ybanez went down with a Grade 2 sprain in his right ankle during their opening match against FEU, forcing him to miss four straight games.

Despite the setback, the Golden Spikers bounced back with a five-game winning streak before wrapping up the first round with a loss to the Bulldogs.

“I’m not disappointed with our performance or the results, considering our main gunner missed four or five matches,” Mamon added.

“But finishing on the podium — for me, it’s still bitter. I accept full responsibility.”