ADDING ANOTHER classic clash to their rivalry, the UST Golden Tigresses came from behind to take down the DLSU Lady Spikers in five sets, 25-12, 22-25, 13-25, 25-23, 15-13, in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
The Tigresses are on a four-game win streak against the Lady Spikers, dating back to Season 86.
“It’s more fruitful to play when we know where we’re drawing our motivation from, so we always remind ourselves of our purpose,” UST playmaker Cassie Carballo told The Flame.
It was a commanding start for the Tigresses as they buried the Lady Spikers under an 18-8 deficit, punctuated by a down-the-line bomb from opposite hitter Reg Jurado.
Capitalizing on DLSU’s errors late in the frame, UST cruised to a dominant opening set win, 25-12.
In the second set, the España squad maintained control until the Taft-based squad surged a 6-0 run to put the match at an 18-all deadlock.
Both teams exchanged blows in the crucial stretch, but DLSU’s middle blocker Amie Provido stood tall, denying Jurado at the top to seal the set, 25-22.
It was a complete meltdown for the Tigresses in the third set, as they found themselves in a 15-6 hole after Provido hammered a quick attack. The Lady Spikers continued to stay aggressive to take a 2-1 set lead in commanding fashion, 25-13.
Refusing to go out without a fight, the Tigresses crawled back in the fourth frame as Jurado delivered a sharp crosscourt kill to force a decider, 25-23.
To open the final set, DLSU star Angel Canino propelled her team to a four-point lead, 7-3.
UST, however, was far from done as the tandem of hitters Angge Poyos and Jurado sparked a fiery comeback to snatch the game.
Poyos led the Tigresses to triumph with a monster performance, dropping 28 points built on 24 attacks, three blocks and an ace. Jurado followed up with 17, while rookie Marga Altea chipped in 10.
On the other side, Canino paced the Lady Spikers with 25 points, while Shevana Laput and Provido added 18 and 10 markers, respectively.
The Tigresses will try to sustain their momentum as they are set to face super rookie Shaina Nitura and the Adamson Lady Falcons on Saturday, March 1, at the same venue. F
