UAAP: Rookie Molde stars as Lady Maroons ground Lady Falcons

UP Rookie Isa Molde. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

University of the Philippines notched their second victory and joined the top four early in the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament after a 26-24, 25-27, 25-20, 25-19 trumping Adamson University Wednesday at San Juan Arena.

Justine Dorog helped the Lady Maroons arrest a losing skid with an off-the-block kill that bounced off several Lady Falcons as they improved to 2-2. UP is now tied with Far Eastern University at fourth.

Rookie stalwart Isa Molde led UP with 23 points while veterans Kathy Bersola and Nicole Tiamzon had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Lady Maroons head coach Jerry Yee was satisfied with his team’s performance but knows that his young squad still has a lot to improve on.

“Yes, for this game, I’m satisfied pero marami pa yan, marami pang teams na ganun ang style,” Yee said of Adamson’s loud presence on the court. “Marami pa tayong paghahandaan at malayo pa pero for this game I’m satisfied.”

Yee knew of Adamson’s antics and it was just a matter of asking his players to stay calm and just stick to their game plan.

Adamson’s shenanigans, however, seemed to have backfired as Mylene Paat committed back-to-back errors that gave UP the 24-19 match point.

Jessica Galanza had a game-high 25 points while Paat added 23 for the Lady Falcons, who succumbed to their third straight loss.