UAAP: UST coach says Angge Poyos still ‘not 100 percent’

UST Tigresses’ Angge Poyos in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — University of Santo Tomas coach KungFu Reyes admitted Angge Poyos is not yet 100 percent after returning to action from dehydration in their five-set loss to Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Poyos, who missed the match last Wednesday, scored 20 points in her return but she was still feeling under the weather and was subbed out in the fourth set in UST’s 19-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10 collapse to FEU, sliding to a 10-2 record.

“Her movements were a bit shaky. I asked her if she was having chills. She’s feeling a bit cold,” said Reyes in Filipino. “She’s still the same reliable scorer but not 100 percent. There’s a bit of residue from her illness in the past few days.”

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball second round

The longtime UST coach rued on their 36 errors in the match but credited FEU for its much-needed win to complete the Final Four cast.

“Our movements were unstable, unlike our usual game.  We will return to the drawing board and work on our lapses as we try to bounce back,” said Reyes. “We failed to stop [Faida] Bakanke. She scored 21 points and our defensive percentage was inefficient.”

The Tigresses must win their remaining games against the also-ran Univeristy of the East on April 21 and the De La Salle Lady Spikers on April 27 for a shot at one of the two twice-to-beat advantages.

READ: Ninoy Aquino Stadium evokes memories of UST-FEU rivalry

Reyes wants UST to take its second loss in stride to finish the elimination round strong.

“We’re not losing the game, we’re learning from it. We have a lot of reasons to move forward. We have to accept this and continue to embrace our improvements,” he said.