UST Tigresses. UAAP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—University of Santo Tomas hardly gave Ateneo an opportunity to impose itself with a methodical 25-19, 25-23, 25-14, victory on Wednesday at the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball.
Regina Jurado seized the limelight by aggressively attacking the net, unloading 12 attacks out of a game-high 15 points plus three aces, all in the final set where the Tigresses devoured their prey with an 11-2 windup.
Eya Laure unloaded 10 points and 12 digs while rookie Cassie Carballo had 16 excellent sets for the Tigresses, who registered a second straight victory, their fourth overall in six games.
“I’m glad that we were able to polish our movements and I think we didn’t make any service errors today,” said UST coach Kungfu Reyes.
Vanessa Gandler led Ateneo with 13 points while Faith Nisperos and Lyann De Guzman added 11 points each as the Lady Blue Eagles committed 25 errors in absorbing their fourth straight defeat for a 1-5 record.
It was Ateneo’s worst start in the Final Four era or since the Blue Eagles’ 1-4 record 13 years ago back in Season 73
“We were lucky. We were able to stop their momentum every time they attempted to make a comeback,” said Reyes.
UST star Eya Laure. UAAP PHOTO
Laure was on assault mode right at the beginning, her assortment of smashes finding their way at the back row where no Ateneo defender could stop.
Laure’s push coupled by Perdido’s back-to-back spikes brought them closer to ending the set and Gandler made it easier for the Tigresses with a service error at match point.
Gandler aided Ateneo’s fightback in the second set along with De Guzman, whose unfortunate attack sailed past the end line for a 24-20 count in UST’s favor.
A raid by Nisperos on the left flank and Tsu’s block gave Ateneo a glimmer of hope before Laure ditched them with a powerful down-the-line attack.
The atmosphere for Ateneo didn’t look good either in the final set when Jurado made the Lady Blue Eagles look really bad.
Jurado jumpstarted UST’s fiery ending with a spike and a push for a 17-13 advantage before her twin aces created an eight-point cushion prior to Jonna Perdido’s block on Geezel Tsunashima at match point.