No sweeping up confetti this time for Tigresses

UST Tigresses celebrate their championship in the 2024 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge. They beat the FEU Lady Tamaraws in three games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Game 2 was supposed to break them.

Cassie Carballo tossed in what was supposed to be the title-winning point and the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses celebrated—prematurely, as it turned out.

A net fault was ruled, Far Eastern U (FEU) got back into the game and then turned the deciding fifth frame into a showcase of its grit.

UST bowed out with a painful loss and was supposed to be broken.

“That moment, especially for the players, when the confetti started falling, our spirit was so high,” said UST coach Kungfu Reyes. “And then when [everything was cleared] our spirit fell. We always tell ourselves to be in the moment. Maybe if the confetti didn’t explode, we would have still won Game 2. Psychologically, that was very difficult to handle.”

But these are the Tigresses. And theirs is a heart that cannot be underestimated.

“We’re happy we were able to recover after that upset loss in Game 2,” added Reyes after the Tigresses outlasted the Lady Tamaraws, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21, 25-14, in a winner-take-all Game 3 to capture the 2024 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge crown on Friday at Philsports Arena.

It was the Tigresses’ first major volleyball championship after 14 years—since they doubled by winning the 2010 V-League and UAAP Season 72 crowns.

Tournament MVP Angge Poyos, who missed Game 2 due to illness, led the way in making sure UST would settle its unfinished business as she erupted for 31 points to help her team overcome a first-set defeat.

“Very happy because we bounced back in Game 3,” Poyos, the UAAP rookie of the year last season, said. “My goal was to help the team and I’m thankful that we were able to grab the championship.”

Carballo, named the Best Setter of the league, was crowned Finals MVP after anchoring UST’s offense with 19 excellent sets on top of five points.

“We’re happy we got to experience being V-League champions. It’s overwhelming, the joy and happiness we feel,” Reyes said.

‘Long way to go’

Reg Jurado had 15 points including the two championship-clinching attacks, while Jonna Perdido added 10 points, tallied 14 digs and eight excellent receptions to help captain libero Detdet Pepito, who had 17 digs.

“We’re happy because we also learned a lot,” Pepito said. Among those lessons? “Don’t celebrate early.”

“We know more about our strengths and weaknesses and we are hoping this carries to our next league. We have a long way to go.”

The Tigresses won despite the absence of injured Best Middle Blocker Em Banagua, who hurt her knee in Game 2.

UST swept the opener of the best-of-three title series but absorbed its first loss in 10 games in Game 2 as the TIgresses’ premature celebration was spoiled by the Lady Tams, who equalized with a 25-22. 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 17-15 win.

The España-based spikers overcame a tough challenge in the second and third sets as they needed to erase a 13-17 deficit behind Poyos’ scoring prowess to tie the game at one set apiece after Carballo’s set-clinching ace.

Poyos, the V-League MVP, and the Tigresses carried the momentum in the third to take a 2-1 advantage and pulled away in the fourth, dominating with a 7-2 start and never looking back after a 17-6 spread.

The Lady Tamaraws settled for silver for the second straight year, following a runner-up finish to St. Benilde last season. INQ