UAAP: UST Defeats DLSU in Epic Five-Set Encounter

IT SEEMS LIKE bows and arrows were useless against a growling tiger, as the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses defeated the revenge-seeking De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Spikers in five sets. 

The Golden Tigresses’ winning streak over the Lady Spikers continues as they defeated them 25-12, 22-25, 13-25, 25-23, 15-13 in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. 

What fascinated the 6,539 in attendance was UST’s fourth consecutive win over DLSU, dating back to last year’s UAAP Season 86, when they swept all three games, including the Final Four.

Revenge Denied

UST started strong and won the first set 25-12. However, after a disappointing first set loss, the Lady Spikers bounced back by winning the second and third sets. 

The España-based squad led 18-12 in the second set, but the Taft-represent spikers rallied for a 13-4 run, which allowed them to secure the set and tie the match at one set each. 

Riding that momentum, the Lady Spikers continued their dominant performance against the Golden Tigresses in the third set, winning 25-13 and moving within one more set to secure the victory.

However, UST regained their confidence in a critical set, with Angge Poyos and Regina Jurado coming up clutch when the fourth set was tied at 23-all, hitting back-to-back to send the match to the fifth set. 

They then seized a 13-11 lead in the fourth set thanks to an attack blunder by Angel Canino and a critical Marga Altea dump off an overreceived ball. Shevana Laput of La Salle, meanwhile, stepped up and cut the gap. 

Jurado continued to shine, scoring off a well-placed combined attack to push UST on match point at 14-12. La Salle had a chance when Bianca Plaza’s serve went long, but an error on the following play sealed their loss.

A Golden Day

Poyos led the entire UST squad to their second victory, which came as no surprise. They are now tied 2-1 with the UP Fighting Maroons and Adamson Lady Falcons for the second seed in the elimination round standings.

“Sa game na ito, talagang ipinakita lang talaga namin kung ano kami,” said Poyos, who finished the game with a monsterous 28 points on 24 attacks, three blocks, and an ace, while also contributing 16 digs.

“Yung composure namin sa loob ng court, yun talaga ang nagdala. Nawala man kami nung second set, pero bumalik lang kami sa sistema, and nagtiwala lang kami sa isa’t isa,” she added.

Nonetheless, Poyoso was not alone in the difficult task of defeating the avenging DLSU squad. Jurado backed her up with 17 points, and Altea contributed a critical 10-point performance. 

Detdet Pepito, a two-time Best Libero, led the defense with 24 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions, while Cassie Carballo, the reigning Best Setter, coordinated UST’s offensive with 22 excellent sets and two points.

Meanwhile, DLSU is in new territory, with a 1-2 record, the university’s worst start to a season since Season 86. Despite the loss, Canino led La Salle with a triple-double of 25 points, 17 excellent digs, and 16 excellent receptions. 

The UST Golden Tigresses will attempt to win their third game in a row on Saturday against Adamson, while the DLSU Lady Spikers will look to bounce back on Sunday against UP, both at MOA Arena.