THE UST Golden Tigresses fell short in a grueling five-set thriller against the Adamson Lady Falcons in Game 1 of the V-League Collegiate Cup finals, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 25-27, 12-15, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
Team captain Reg Jurado led all scorers with 27 points built on 22 attacks, three aces and two blocks, while Angge Poyos added 17 markers with 16 kills and an ace.
Jurado opened the match red hot, converting three service aces to give UST an early 9-3 lead. However, the Lady Falcons answered back with a 10-4 run by capitalizing on the Tigresses’ multiple errors, tying the match at 13-all.
Despite facing four more ties, the captain and Poyos combined for five of the team’s last eight points, with Poyos delivering the final kill to claim the opening set, 25-22.
Although UST trailed 10-5 early in the second frame from three consecutive kills by Adamson winger Joy Aseo, the España squad countered with an 8-3 run to tie the game 13-all.
However, the Lady Falcons dominated the remainder of the set with the duo of Aseo and Frances Mordi, as setter Felicity Sagaysay landed a service ace, 25-19, to even the match.
As another tense 13-all impasse presented itself in the third set, the UST floor defense stepped up, launching a 12-3 run that saw Adamson commit four consecutive errors, as Marga Altea’s ace concluded the frame, 25-16.
Aseo and Jurado continued trading blows throughout the fourth frame, forcing eight deadlocks between both sides, settling at 15-all.
While the San Marcelino squad nearly pulled away with a late 20-16 advantage, the España crew rallied back, forcing a 24-all deuce, until a key Lana Barrera substitution helped Adamson edge UST, 27-25, triggering a fifth set.
An 8-all tie opened the final salvo before the Lady Falcons broke free with a 7-4 blitz, as Janna Dizon delivered the final kill to seal the match, 15-12.
Altea and foreign-student athlete Blessing Unekwe combined for 22 points, recording 18 attacks and three blocks between each other.
Meanwhile, Mordi delivered 22 markers built on 20 kills, a block and an ace each, while Aseo notched 19 points from all attacks alone.
The Tigresses return to the same venue on Friday, Oct. 9, in a must-win Game 2. F
