A LATE game collapse doomed the UST Golden Tigresses as they absorbed a five-set heartbreak against the UP Fighting Maroons, 22-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-18, 15-13 in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Pre-Season Unity Cup opener on Sunday, Sept. 21 at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Despite committing fewer errors overall, UST’s untimely miscues proved costly down the stretch, allowing UP to snatch momentum when it mattered the most.
UP mounted a late rally behind Bienne Bansil and Kian Olango’s clutch blocks on Angge Poyos, before Cassey Donggalo capped off the comeback to steal the match, 15-13.
In the first set, Angge Poyos steadied the Tigresses with a scoring burst to tie the game at 10-all.
Middle blocker Niña Ytang added a quick attack to stretch the lead, 21-16, before Dongallo sealed the opening set with three straight points, 25-22.
UST answered back in the second set behind opposite hitter Avril Bron’s attacks, 16-13.
The España squad capitalized on the opponent’s errors before Bron hammered through the block to finish the set, 25-17.
UP regained the upper hand in the third as UST’s errors piled up. Ytang smashed down a hit to take a 20-13 advantage. Dongallo drilled a cross-court bomb to clinch the frame, 25-19.
The Tigresses refused to back down in the fourth as rookie Julia Balingit sparked a surge with a power spike, 14-11.
Middle blocker Em Banagua went on to be a threat at the net as she denied Dongallo to force a decider, 25-18.
Poyos caught fire in the fifth, blasting from all angles to put UST up, 13-7. But UP refused to fold, mounting a stunning comeback capped by Dongallo’s heroics to complete the turnaround, 15-13.
Dongallo led UP’s offense with 20 points, followed by Ytang with 15 on nine spikes, five blocks and an ace.
Poyos had 15 attacks for UST. Bron also shone in her SSL debut with six attacks, five blocks and an ace in a losing effort.
The Tigresses will try to bounce back against NCAA finalists Letran Lady Knights on Sunday, Sept. 28, at the same venue. F
