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MANILA, Philippines – There will be no spoiled debuts here.
New NU Lady Bulldogs coach Roger Gorayeb marked his return to the UAAP with a victory as they escaped a hapless UST Tigresses, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 15-9, in the women’s volleyball tournament of UAAP Season 77 on Wednesday, January 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The towering Jaja Santiago once more led the Lady Bulldogs with her 28 points built on 22 attacks, 4 blocks and two aces while Myla Pablo chipped in 15 points as NU bounced back from their defeat at the hands of the Lady Tamaraws before the holiday break.
The Lady Bulldogs, despite a still solid line-up in the wake of the departure of last season’s Best Attacker Dindin Santiago, continue to struggle in Season 77 and are hovering at just 3-3 in the standings.
Gorayeb, who handled defending champions Ateneo Lady Eagles as they rose to prominence in the volleyball scene, replaced Ariel dela Cruz.
The charismatic coach, who made a name for himself with San Sebastian in the NCAA, led the Lady Eagles to the UAAP Finals in 2012 and 2013 before going back to coach again at San Sebastian. He is tasked to turn an under-achieving NU squad into a promising contender again as the race to the Final Four tightens with the second round of eliminations just around the corner.
The Tigresses, on the other hand, still aren’t the tough-as-nails, hard-spiking powerhouse they once were. The girls from España have won only one game in 6 outings.
Rookie EJ Laure once again carried UST on her shoulders with 16 points – all kills.
Pam Lastimosa and Mela Tunay added 13 and 10 markers, respectively, for UST who battled back from two sets down to force a decided 5th set, only to fall short against a loaded NU. – Rappler.com
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