The University of Santo Tomas (UST) could not have gotten off to a better start. UAAP Season 86 Women's volleyball tournament.
Ange Poyos wants more than that.
„The season has gotten off to a great start, and I hope we can end it in a beautiful way,“ said wonder rookie Tigres late Sunday after leading the team to a tense test. Poyos said. Won against La Salle 25-20, 16-25, 25-20, 19-25, 15-7. During the Final Four showdown at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Read: UAAP: UST has deja vu, but Tigres eyes a different outcome
And what better way to end the season beautifully than to once again win the women's volleyball crown after a 14-year wait?
heavyweight
The last time a traditional heavyweight in this event won the title was in 2010 with a roster that largely mirrored this latest version of Tigres.
UST was then led by Leah Dimaculangan, an agile setter known for her strong service game, and left-handed spiker Aiza Maizo. This year's team features Cathy Carballo, the league's best setter and server, and Jonah Perdido and Reg Jurado, two left-handed hitters who tricked the Lady Spikers into giving up the title.
„I feel that if we continue to work hard in every practice and game, we can bring glory back to España,“ Perdido said, referring to the boulevard that flanks the school's historic campus. Perdido once again tormented La Salle on offense, finishing with 18 points.
And like the 2010 team, the current Tigres have plenty of talent on their young roster, led by the incomparable Poyos, who scored 28 points on Sunday. „This is my first season so I'm happy and grateful to have made it to the finals,“ said Poyos, who totaled 25 kills, two aces and one block.
Despite having the league's smallest offensive line, Tigres came out of the gate with a bang, winning their first eight games and remaining in first place until losing to Far Eastern University (FEU) late in the second round. continued.
Read: UAAP: UST hopes resemblance to 2010 title team leads to championship
However, UST remained calm and offset their lack of height with excellent court coverage and offensive versatility. The loss to National University (NU) put the team in a predicament, but the Tigres bounced back strongly with a four-set victory over La Salle, ending the qualifying round with the protection of the second seed and two consecutive wins.
Tigress didn't need to fish out that card.
UST is one of the youngest players in the league, and the team's captain and chief libero, Dedette Pepito, has the most experience in the UAAP as a junior.
Most of the names on the roster are freshmen and sophomores.
„We proved ourselves to the doubters in the first match,“ Pepito said.
There were no Tigres the last time UST reached the finals in 2019, when the school lost a close game to a tall Ateneo team.
Once again, UST eliminated La Salle in the Final Four.
“People say history repeats itself,” UST coach Kung Fu Reyes said. „This time we want to change the result. We just have to work hard and maybe we'll be lucky in the final.“
UST had to wait for their opponent in the finals as FEU dragged NU into the deciding match on their own turf in the semifinals. The top-seeded Lady Bulldogs and fourth-seeded Lady Tamaraws will face off on Wednesday for the final championship berth.
Tigress will use the waiting period to get even better.
„We're here anyway, so we better give it our all,“ Reyes said. „Pour in whatever you have left. The best way is to work hard, repeat, every day.“ INQ