UST chalks up 4th straight PVL win

MANILA, Philippines – University of Santo Tomas broke away in a back-and-forth 3rd set, overcame a big deficit in the 4th, then survived a resolute stand in the stretch to hack out a 22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 26-24 victory over the University of the Philippines in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Collegiate Conference. 

Stunned by the Lady Maroons’ strong start, the Tigresses fought back in the next 3 frames to stretch its winning streak to 4 games before a big Sunday crowd, August 5, at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. 

The Tigresses drew big games from Eya Laure, Christine Francisco and Carla Sandoval while showing poise in the face of the Lady Maroons’ big comeback to stay unbeaten.

Rookie Laure fired 12 kills, scored 5 aces and a kill block to finish with another solid 18-hit game while Francisco backed her up with 16 points.

Sandoval also came off the bench to deliver 12 points for the España-based squad.

UST overcame an 11-16 deficit in the 4th set but lost a 21-19 lead as UP struck back and forced a series standoffs, the last at 24.

But the Lady Maroons fell behind again on a service error and the Tigresses scored the match clinching point on Laure’s contested baseline hit.

Isa Molde and rookie Nicole Magsarile combined for 25 points for UP, which, like UST, is priming up for the upcoming UAAP wars.

After leveling the game with a big second frame romp, the Tigresses pulled away in a tight 3rd set duel, scoring 3 straight hits to shatter a 16-all count. The Lady Maroons sued for time to reorganize but the Tigresses sustained their hot charge, piling up 3 more points to break the game open.

UP broke the spell with a hit but UST countered and the Tigresses roared to victory on an ace after both teams traded service errors to head to their first four-set game after sweeping their first three matches.

UST also rolled to its 4th straight win in men’s action, but just like their female coutnerparts, the Tigers had to do it the hard way.

The Tigers survived St. Benilde, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23, to match the hot start of Adamson, which likewise trounced Perpetual Help, 25-15, 25-21, 25-12, in the other match

The two teams clash for the lead on August 11 in the mid-season conference of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.

Paolo Pablico fired 16 points while Leo Miranda chipped in 10 hits for the Falcons, whose defense likewise held the Altas to just 48 points in 3 sets.

The Tigers, on the other hand, bucked an erratic stand that saw them commit 32 errors as they proved steadier than the Blazers at the finish of each frame.

Joshua Umandal and Manuel Medina combined for 31 hits for UST while Ruvince Abrot had 9 hits and Owen Bacani and Francis Basilan each fired 8 points for St. Benilde, which slipped to 1-2. – Rappler.com