Vicente blasts UE starters after blowout loss to UST

It is still early in the tournament but University of the East is already in disarray.

The Lady Warriors are off to a disappointing 0-2 start in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament, with their latest loss coming in a straight set defeat to University of Santo Tomas, 25-17, 25-15, 25-21.

Head coach Francis Vicente said the only positive thing he got out of their loss to the Golden Tigresses was that his bench players have the attitude to try and win games, something that his starters unfortunately lacked.

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“The starters tend to relax too much, they can’t control their own confidence or that they are too confident in themselves,” said Vicente in Filipino Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.

“They just allow the ball to drop wherever UST sends it. What I did in the third set was put in the players who really wanted to win, maybe we could’ve gotten at least a set.”

Come the third set, Vicente had reserves Geline Olarve, Katrina Sta. Maria, Lialyn Manabat and Laizah Bendong in the late stretches.

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Cherry Rondina, however, wasn’t having none of Vicente’s player rotations and scored UST’s match-point and game-clincher.

Vicente added UE should’ve put more of an inspired fight against the Golden Tigresses after the Lady Warriors came off with a near win in their first game of the season against University of the Philippines.

UE lost to the Lady Maroons in five sets, 25-19, 25-13, 21-25, 16-25, 15-8, in a game Vicente wanted his team to build on.

“We should’ve been more inspired in this game considering what we’ve been through in our first,” said Vicente. “The players just need to have the mindset that the moment they step on the floor they would give it their all.”