Carlos: UP ‘didn’t put up a fight’ in crucial loss to UST

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas both eyed solo ownership of third seed in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament with the two teams holding similar 7-5 slates going into Sunday’s game.

Three sets later, fans clad in black and gold cheered “Go USTe!” and the Golden Tigresses celebrated their eighth win in 13 games.

UST took the all-important match, 25-20, 25-21, 25-16, while the Lady Maroons were left reeling in a three-way tie with National University and Far Eastern University.

Sophomore hitter Diana Carlos said UP played complacent against a UST squad hellbent on taking the third spot in the standings.

“It happens when you’re coming off a win and you play complacent, and that’s what I think happened today,” said Carlos, who had eight points in the loss.”

UP won its last two games and trumped the Lady Bulldogs in four sets, 25-14, 25-27, 25-21, 25-12, a week ago.

That mini run came to a quick end, though, and Carlos said the Lady Maroons did not show a decent fight against the Golden Tigresses.

“We committed a lot of errors and I think we didn’t put up a fight and we were rattled,” said Carlos, whose team awarded 26 free points to UST due to miscues. “We still have one more game and we don’t have to sulk. We have to get back to work.”