Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER/net
For all the guts and determination University of Santo Tomas showed in its five-set match against De La Salle, it still wasn’t enough as the defending champion still walked out of Mall of Asia Arena with the victory.
The Golden Tigresses managed to push the Lady Spikers to their limits in their epic five-setter in the opening day of the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament but La Salle ultimately held on for a 25-20, 17-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-8 victory.
READ: La Salle outlasts UST in thriller
Cherry Rondina said UST failed to display the composure needed to take the win in such a closely-contested game.
“We need that attitude where we would really want to win the game especially if it was that close,” said Rondina in Filipino.
When La Salle raced to a 10-5 lead in the fifth set, UST answered with three straight points to cut the lead to 10-8 but that proved to be the Golden Tigresses’ last hoorah.
After that little spurt, UST would then give up three straight points due to errors for a 13-8 La Salle lead.
Tin Tiamzon then, put the Lady Spikers on match point, 14-8, before a team block against Rondina sealed the win.
READ: ‘Before there was Alyssa, now there’s Rondina’
Rondina scored a game-high 28 points and the energetic Cebuana said all her efforts, despite going down the drain following the loss, were for UST.
“What I did, I did it for UST,” said Rondina who is in her fourth year in the league. “I wanted to prove this since my first year because when I got to UST I said that I won’t ever let the school down.”
And she’s just getting started.