UAAP volleyball: Cassie Carballo delivers when it matters most for UST
UST Tigresses’ Cassie Carballo in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament . –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines —Instead of letting her crucial errors get to her, Cassie Carballo found a way to power through for University of Santo Tomas.
Carballo committed service errors that allowed Ateneo to force a decider but made up for them with two crucial aces in the fifth set to keep the Tigresses unbeaten in eight games in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.
“Naging motivation ko lang din po ‘yung service error ko kasi super crucial po nung fourth set. So talagang sinabi ko sa sarili ko na kailangan kong magtiwala sa sarili ko para makabawi kasi kailangan din ako ng team ko,” said Carballo after the 25-15, 27-25, 23-25, 26-28, 15-13 win.
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball second round
Carballo, the first round’s top server, had an off-game from the line but she was still able to deliver when it mattered most. Two of her four aces gave UST an 11-8 breather before Jonna Perdido put on the finishing touches.Carballo also dished out 26 excellent sets and scored 10 points leading to the double figures efforts of Angge Poyos (22 points) and Reg Jurado (19 points and 10 digs).. Perdido added 17 points including the last two points of the game.
UST Tigresses coach KungFu Reyes talks to Cassie Carballo in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
“For me, nung crucial moments talagang pumursyento na ako kung sino ‘yung uminit tulad kanina nung si Reg. Tapos ‘yun nga nagtitiwala lang po ako sa spikers ko na kaya nilang patayin,” Carballo said.
Despite the mistakes, the Tigresses coach KungFu Reyes said he kept his trust on Carballo.
READ: UAAP volleyball: UST withstands Ateneo to stay unbeaten at 8-0
“All we need to do is for Cassie to execute kung anong meron kami sa training namin and luckily tumama yung decision making,” Reyes said. “Maraming beses namin ineensayo so in the crucial moment, yun lumabas. So yun yung isang takeaway namin na bibitbitin namin hanggang sa kung saan man kami aabutin.
UST braces for challenges in the second round as it battles fellow contender National University on Sunday.
“Sinasabi namin palagi sa isa’t isa na this round namin mas kailangang yakapin at mahalin ‘yung isa’t isa kasi ‘yun nga, hindi naman kami veterans talaga. Part of the learning process na din po namin,” Carballo said.
