Rookie Rondina stars as surging UST gets back at NU

MANILA, Philippines—The surging University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses racked up their third straight win in the UAAP Season 77 Volleyball tournament at the expense of the National University Lady Bulldogs 3-0, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena Wednesday afternoon.

Rookie Cherry Ann Rondina came off the bench and went on a tear against the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points, making the third set her personal playground.

After clinching the matchpoint at 24-16, UST allowed NU to regroup for two straight points before the 5-foot-5 Rondina rose and launched a boomer of a crosscourt kill to put it away for UST which now has a 4-5 win-loss record.

UST head coach Odjie Mamon said their conquest of the Lady Bulldogs is one win off their “revenge list” of the five UAAP teams that defeated them in the first round.

“That’s a check for our revenge list,” Mamon said whose team only won against the University of the East and archrivals Far Eastern University in the first round.

“We are aiming for the Final Four and we take this tournament a game at a time,” he said. “Actually I only prepare them for a specific opponent a day before the game, but on other games it’s all general preparations.”

That goal does not look all too unattainable now.

UST has caught up with FEU, NU and the University of the Philippines with 4-5 records.

Veterans Pam Lastimosa and Carmela Tunay had eight points apiece for UST while highly-touted rookie EJ Laure managed six.

Jaja Santiago led NU with 14 points even as her team has lost back-to-back games already.

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