Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
University of Santo Tomas regrouped after a slow start to beat University of the Philippines, 22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 26-24, to stay unblemished in the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference Sunday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
The Golden Tigresses leaned on their super rookie Eya Laure to turn things around and chalk up their fourth straight win.
“We’ve really prepared for UP since last week because UP is a team you have to watch out for,” said UST deputy Ian Fernandez in Filipino. “We had viewing and we studied their positioning especially their defensive pattern because we know UP has a solid team.”
Laure delivered 18 points, highlighted by five service aces, to lead the Tigresses, who are atop the standings despite missing the services of star spiker Sisi Rondina and Dimdim Pacres. Rondina and Pacres opted to skip the tournament.
“I noticed that I wasn’t being much of a help to my teammates in the first two sets,” Laure, who got going as the game went on, said in Filipino.
Fernandez said the familiarity with Laure’s game has made it easy for the coaching staff to make the UST high school standout to be one of the focal points of the team’s offense.
“Coach Kungfu and I have known her (Laure) since she was in grade five so I already know her tendencies,” Fernandez said. “And her body language is unlike anything I’ve seen from a rookie.”
Laure wasn’t the only Tigress who stepped up with Christine Francisco adding 16 points and Carla Sandoval tallying 12 points.
Isa Molde and Nicole Magsarile had 13 and 12 points, respectively for UP, which dropped to 1-1.
The Maroons also played minus a key cog with Tots Carlos out for the tournament due to a shin injury.