UAAP: UST ‘wonder women’ slay giants

UST Tigresses on a high after taking down La Salle Lady Spikers. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

THAT eye-popping 73-game winning run? Gone. Those soaring spikers who snapped a similarly spectacular streak? Back to earth.

University of Santo Tomas turned to its female standouts to chalk up two huge UAAP victories yesterday, dismantling Adamson’s historic softball run and pricking La Salle’s volleyball morale in separate venues yesterday.

At Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium, the Tigresses hammered out a 6-2 triumph that ran the Lady Falcons’ 73-game win run to a wall.

It was Adamson’s first loss since Feb. 13, 2010 when it also lost to UST, which eventually won the crown.

At Filoil Flying V Arena, another group of Tigresses hammered out a stunning 25-21, 25-22, 25-21 victory over a La Salle squad that was coming off a smashing victory over defending champion and archrival Ateneo.

With star EJ Laure, spunky Cherry Rondina and remodeled libero RJ Rivera leading the way, UST ended a five-game losing streak to La Salle to notch their third win in seven games.

The upset took the spotlight away from University of the Philippines, who leaned on Isa Molde, Nicole Tiamzon and Diane Carlos on the way to a 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 victory over heavyweight National University.

“[La Salle] probably still had a hangover [after beating Ateneo],” UST coach Kungfu Reyes said in Filipino. “Still, every timeout, we kept reminding the players not to give La Salle a chance to get back.”

Laure scored 13 hits, Rondina chipped in 11 points and 10 digs, while RJ Rivera, playing as libero for just the second time this season, collected 13 digs.

On the diamond, so dominant were the softball Tigresses that they nearly won by the mercy rule after racing to a 6-0 start.

The win put Adamson at 11-1 and forced a semifinal showdown where UST faces NU after both finished at 8-4. UP bagged the last Final Four berth with an abbreviated 8-1 win over Ateneo and will square off with Adamson in the Final Four.