UST avoids last-day shocker, survives 5-set grind over UP 

MANILA, Philippines – Playing minus two key players, the UST Growling Tigresses needed five sets to dispose of the ousted UP Fighting Maroons.

UST averted disaster as the Tigresses rediscovered their form in the fifth set to survive the Maroons, 25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 19-25, 15-6, at the end of the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball elimination round on Sunday, April 30, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Eya Laure unloaded a game-high 28 points to lift the Tigresses, who will head into the Final Four as the No. 4 seed with a 10-4 record. 

Although UST finished with same record as Adamson, the Lady Falcons claimed the third spot due to a superior quotient. 

A longstanding rivalry will be renewed as UST tries to overcome the the twice-to-beat edge of top seed La Salle in their Final Four clash at 1 pm on Wednesday, May 3 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

Defending champion NU and Adamson collide in the other semifinal pairing at 3 pm on the same day. 

The Tigresses missed veterans Detdet Pepito (dehydration caused by diarrhea) and Milena Alessandrini (recurring knee pain) on the last day of eliminations, prompting UST head coach “KungFu” Reyes to field his bench.

Xyza Gula subbed for libero Pepito, while Renee Peñafiel checked in place of Fil-Italian winger Alessandrini. 

“I am very thankful because we won through a collective effort,” said Reyes in Filipino even as the Tigresses blew a 2-0 set advantage before dominating the fifth frame.

“Though undermanned, our pride to get a big win in our last game of eliminations will provide lessons on what went wrong and how it stretched to five sets,” he added.

With UST’s 2-0 lead erased by the seventh-placed Maroons, Laure took the scoring cudgels in the deciding frame, dropping 6 of her 28 points during a crucial stretch.

UST built a comfortable 12-3 lead to start the fifth set, punctuated by Laure’s back-to-back kills and one of Regina Jurado’s three service aces, a crucial one.

The Maroons, which ended the season with a 1-13 record, closed their campaign on an 11-game skid.

Niña Ytang led UP with 17 points, while Stephanie Bustrillo added 14. Graduating playmaker Marianne Sotomil provided 16 excellent sets, along with 2 points in her final UAAP contest.

Although UP gave UST a bit of a scare, the Tigresses feel ready to challenge the No. 1 team.

UST dealt La Salle its lone loss of the eliminations when it won in four sets, 25-19, 14-25, 25-19, 25-12, last April 2.

UST double win

In men’s action, the second seed UST Golden Spikers bucked a slow start and downed the UP Fighting Maroons in four sets, 24-26, 25-18, 25-20, 25-23.

UST, which finished the eliminations with an 11-3 record behind unbeaten NU, was led by Josh Ybañez’s 26 points.

For UP, which ended its season on the backend of the standings at 1-13, Louis Gamban top scored with 16.

The Maroons were also beset by a gruesome injury suffered by Emmanuel Advincula, who seemed to have badly twisted his knee after a botched landing. 

The injured player’s wails were heard all over the venue as paramedics immediately rushed to his aid.

Up next for UST is the winner of the FEU-La Salle stepladder semifinal match on Wednesday. Unlike in previous years, the second seed will not enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage. – Rappler.com