THE UST Golden Tigresses failed to clinch the bronze medal after crumbling to the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the Shakey’s Super League Pre-Season Championship on Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
In the V-Legue finals rematch, UST fell to rival FEU in a five-setter thriller, 25-20, 19-25, 25-22, 19-25, 12-15.
The Tigresses established momentum in the opening set as middle blocker Blessing Unekwe delivered a well-timed push, 19-17.
FEU called for a timeout in an effort to regroup, but UST’s offense remained relentless with spiker Angge Poyos sealing the set with a service ace, 25-20.
In the second frame, the Morayta-based squad took advantage of the España squad’s miscommunication error to take a five-point lead, 22-17.
The Lady Tamaraws leveled the match to one set apiece after an off-the-block hit from opposite hitter Mitzi Panangin, 25-19.
It was a seesaw battle late in the third set as an attack error from Poyos gave FEU a 23-22 advantage. UST, however, scored three straight points led by the sophomore spiker to take the set, 25-23.
Midway through the fourth set, Tigress Jonna Perdido went down with a knee injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
FEU took advantage of the lefty’s absence as foreign student-athlete Faida Banka went on a roll to force a decider, 25-19.
It was a block party in the final set, with Lady Tamaraws Gerz Petallo and Bakanke asserting their authority at the net, 8-4.
UST answered with its own scoring run to cut the lead to just one point, 11-10. But FEU’s offense proved too much after Jazlyn Ellarina’s attack from the middle locked up the bronze medal.
The ever-consistent Poyos led the scoring for UST with 21 points followed by Perdido with 11 markers.
Meanwhile, three players were in double digits for FEU. Ellarina led the offense built on 10 attacks and three blocks, while Petallo and Bakanke added 11 and 10 points, respectively. F – Nicole Atuan
