Hernandez erupts for UAAP-best 24, Laure piles on 27 as UST sends Ateneo to brink

MANILA, Philippines – The UST Golden Tigresses upped their hustle when they needed it most as the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament entered its home stretch, outgunning the Ateneo Blue Eagles in a four-set win, 25-22, 25-20, 27-29, 25-21, at the PhilSports Arena on Saturday, April 15.

Eya Laure once again led the way in scoring with 27 points off 23 attacks and a game-high 4 blocks, while her longtime running mate Imee Hernandez reset her UAAP career-high with 24 points off 19 spikes and 3 rejections.

With the win, UST rose to an 8-3 record to tie Adamson in second place at the expense of Ateneo, which fell to the brink of elimination with a 4-7 slate.

After this loss, the sixth-ranked Blue Eagles no longer have their fate in their hands as NU (7-3) can officially end their Final Four hopes with a win on Sunday, April 16, 12 pm, against fifth-place FEU (5-5).

Gaining momentum from a third-set win in extended time, Ateneo continued to have UST’s number late in the fourth, leading 19-17 off a block point while the Tigresses’ receivers in the backrow were caught ball-watching.

Unfazed, Laure again took matters into her own hands with back-to-back kills for a 22-20 lead off a 20-all tie, all made better with a timely ace from Milena Alessandrini immediately afterwards, 23-20.

Although Alessandrini doused a bit of UST’s momentum with a service error, Laure quickly bounced back with a match point-forcing through-the-block hit, 24-21, while Hernandez scored one last block on Ateneo super scorer Faith Nisperos to seal the deal.

“On our part, we were forcing to find where the holes were, where our attacks will be strongest. We really wanted Imee to guard until the last point, but it was difficult,” said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes in Filipino.

“At least the nice end that we wanted happened. That’s a great indication that we’re on the right path.”

Nisperos tied her UAAP career-best effort with 31 points – also Season 85’s top scoring mark – in the heartbreaking loss off 29 attacks and 2 blocks. Vanie Gandler and Lyann de Guzman, meanwhile, were far second and third with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Taking positives from its close first-set loss, Ateneo fought toe-to-toe with UST until late in the second, as Nisperos hammered a down-the-line kill for the 18-all tie.

However, the Tigresses found a higher gear when it mattered most, sparking up a 6-0 burst ending with a Laure crosscourt smash for the 24-18 separation.

Cassie Carballo snapped the run with a service error before Gandler rejected Laure at the net, 20-24, but a Reg Jurado down-the-line facial spike on Nisperos wrapped things up for UST for the two-set lead.

UST will enjoy an eight-day break before returning against FEU on Sunday, April 23, 11 am, at the Mall of Asia Arena. Ateneo, meanwhile, gets earlier dibs on the Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday, April 19, 12 pm. – Rappler.com