MANILA, Philippines – A new round but not a new hope for the hapless University of the East Lady Warriors as they fell in straight sets, 3-0, 25-17, 25-13, 25-21,to the depleted University of the Philippines Lady Maroons in the second round of the UAAP Season 77 Volleyball tourney Wednesday afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena.
UP played without the presence of injured Kathy Bersola.
With win, UP Maroons are now on the .500 mark at 4-4 while UE Lady Warriors are on a sorrowful 0-8 mark.
UE could not take advantage of the gap in the middle as their top scorers Judith Abil and Maria Dawis only scored seven points apiece.
Lady Maroons head coach Gerry Yee admitted that they sorely missed the services of Bersola in the middle, leaving Angelli Araneta to defend the area.
“We really had a hard time blocking, it was pretty obvious what we lacked, we lacked Kathy,” Yee said.
“Although we were hitting, and scoring, on a few occasions, the blocks were not in it.”
UP Captain Nicol Tiamzon, who specializes on the wings, was the top scorer for UP with 12.