Adamson Lady Falcons. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Adamson University made sure its seniors would leave the team on a happy note as it bludgeoned University of Santo Tomas, 25-6, 25-23, 25-23 in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at Blue Eagle Gym.
The Lady Falcons bid farewell to seniors Jema Galanza, Mylene Paat Fhen Emnas, and Jellie Tempiatura, who all played their final game for the school, as they ended as the tournament with a 6-8 record.
The Golden Tigresses, despite getting billed as contenders before the start of the season, settled at the seventh seed with a humble 4-10 record.
Both teams were in a virtual stalemate midway through the third set knotting the scores at 15-15 but the Lady Falcons got lucky when Cherry Rondina sent her spike attempt directly to the net to get a 19-15 lead.
Rondina would make up for her earlier mistake later in the set and tied the scores at 22-22 with a powerful down the line kill before Jema Galanza and Mylene Paat immediately retaliated for the Lady Falcons for Adamson’s 24-22 lead.
Paat then scored the finisher with a quick kill that landed firmly on UST’s side of the floor.
Lady Falcons head coach Air Padda was aware of their status as a potential Final Four contender before the season started, but the reality was her team just had to settle as semifinal spectators.
“It as bittersweet, they were playing to get into the Final Four today and that’s the team that I wish would’ve showed up in all the other opportunities we had,” said Padda. “That’s Adamson volleyball. I’m very proud with the way they showed up today.”
“But they knew, we told them that not making the Final Four was a very big ‘sayang’ (almost).”
Eli Soyud finished with a team-high 14 points for Adamson while the graduating Paat and Galanza finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Rondina had 15 points for UST to lead all scorers.