On cusp of UAAP title, UST has no time to celebrate just yet

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Despite an emphatic win by University of Santo Tomas in Game 1 of the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball finals, head coach Kung Fu Reyes said there’s still not much reason to fully celebrate.

The Golden Tigresses dominated Ateneo in straight sets, 25-17, 25-16, 25-20, for their first victory over the Lady Eagles in seven years.

UST just needs one more win to claim the women’s volleyball title and break its nine-year title drought.

Reyes said the celebration ends early as UST will immediately go back to the drawing board and prepare for Game 2 which is set on Wednesday.

“We’ll celebrate today because we won but we get back to regular programming on Monday and we’ll go straight back to drawing board and think as if nothing happened, we’re back to square one,” said Reyes in Filipino Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We won’t stop until we’re done.”

UST’s last championship was back in 2010 when it still had Rhea Dimaculangan, Dindin Santiago-Manabat, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Maruja Banaticla, Juday Caballero, and Angge Tabaquero.

The Golden Tigresses also managed only three Final Four appearances while hitting a low point in Season 80 when they finished seventh in the standings.

Reyes also said UST must play even better next time if it is to close out Ateneo in Game 2.

UST crushed Ateneo on the offensive end, tallying 46 attack points, 22 more than what the Lady Eagles had, while also establishing an impenetrable ground game.

The Lady Eagles only had one service ace the whole match while the Golden Tigresses had 10.

“Whatever our start was today, that would be our jump off point and we’ll just improve on it so we can lessen our errors,” said Reyes, whose team awarded Ateneo with 23 free points.

“If we can finish this on Wednesday, then we will do it.”