MAIKA Ortiz (left) and Rhea Dimaculangan of University of Santo Tomas take on Ateneo’s frontliners. RODEL ROTONI
UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas leaned on a balanced attack to hammer out a come-from-behind 16-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 win last night and move on the brink of the Shakey’s V-League Season 9 First Conference crown before a huge crowd at the Filoil Flying V Arena.
Seeking payback for their loss in the elimination-round, the Tigresses drew double-digit outputs from four players to grab the headstart in the best-of-three series while pinning a first defeat in the tournament on the defending champion Lady Eagles, who faltered in the third and fourth sets.
Judy Ann Caballejo sustained her solid play with a team-high 15 points while Maika Ortiz and Maru Banaticla, who struggled early in the game, came through when it mattered to fuel the Tigresses, who can clinch a seventh title with a win in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Mary Jean Balse, the former two-time V-League Most Valuable Player, made a dramatic return to the UST lineup, bucking pain in her left knee to finish with 11 points, including a kill that tied the fourth set at 22.
The Lady Eagles couldn’t sustain a fiery start in the opening set, but still finished with more attack points and blocks. It seemed like the enormity of the occasion overwhelmed the Lady Eagles, who found difficulty executing their plays late in the third and fourth sets.
Ateneo squandered a 22-20 lead in the fourth set as Ortiz nailed two kills and Balse contributed another to turn things around for the Tigresses.
Banaticla who finished with 14 points put the Tigresses at match point with a down-the-line kill, before a receiving error on Ingrid Reyes’ serve wrapped up the game for UST.
“The players were a little overeager in the first set but we were able to adjust,” said UST coach Odjie Mamon. “Maika (Ortiz) went all-out in the last two sets. Balse was efficient in scoring. And Judy (Caballejo) remained consistent.”
Mamon said the power outage at the UST Gym that prevented the team from practicing turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“It turned out to be a stress-reliever for our players and they showed a lot of energy after the first set,” he said.
Former UST high school star Alyssa Valdez paced the Lady Eagles with 20 points.
Earlier, San Sebastian outlasted Perpetual Help, 25-14, 25-13, 16-25, 32-34, 15-9, in Game 1 of their series for third place.
Thai import Jeng Bualee had another big game, finishing with 34 points, while Joy Benito contributed 24 for the Lady Stags, who nearly squandered a two-set lead.
Bualee, in her 10th conference with the Lady Stags, was later named the tournament Most Valuable Player aside from winning the best scorer award.
Other individual awardees: Perpetual’s Sandra Delos Santos (Most Improved Player), UST’s Utaiwan Kaensing (best attacker), Kesinee (best blocker), Caballejo (best server), Adamson’s Angelique Dionela (best Digger), Ateneo’s Jem Ferrer (best setter) and Ateneo libero Denden Lazaro (best receiver)