Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It was a long time coming but University of the East is finally in the winners’ circle after battling back to stun Adamson University, 25-22, 22-25, 14-24, 25-20, 15-13, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Lady Warriors posted their first win after dropping their first six games while the Lady Falcons, who shocked La Salle in their previous outing, dropped to 3-4.
UE was firmly in control of Adamson in the fifth set breaking off any comeback attempt the Lady Falcons mustered in the deciding period.
Mary Ann Mendrez gave UE an 11-6 lead with an off-the-block kill and even though Mary Joy Dacoron cut the deficit to two for Adamson, 13-11, the Lady Warriors were quick to respond.
Shaya Adorador, with the help of Seth Rodriguez, denied Mylene Paat at the top for UE’s 14-11 lead.
Then, Adorador closed things off with an off speed kill to award the Lady Warriors their first victory in Season 80.
Interim head coach Rod Roque, who also serves as the school’s athletic director, said the players’ belief in themselves was what allowed them to win and snap their 13-game losing streak that began midway part of Season 79.
“When I watched their games before, I can see that they already have the skills and you just have to tap into them,” said Roque, who replaced Francis Vicente, in Filipino. “So when I took over, I didn’t change anything, I just told them to believe in themselves.”
“They followed every bit of instruction I gave them in practice and I told them that if they replicated what they did in practice, we can win the game.”
There may have been luck involved, but UE enjoyed Adamson’s disastrous fourth set as the Lady Warriors received 16 free points due to the Lady Falcons’ errors.
Adamson head coach Air Padda also experimented with her lineup when she chose to sit out starters Jema Galanza, Chiara Permentilla, and Eli Soyud in the first set.
Mendrez had had 12 points to lead UE while Adorador added 11.
Paat led Adamson with 23 points while Soyud and Dacoron had 21 combined points.
Despite Adamson winning in kills, 59-36, the Lady Falcons gave away 52 points due to their errors while UE managed to keep its miscues to 31.