UAAP Volleyball: UP outlasts Adamson in thriller to start 2nd round push

UP Lady Fighting Maroons. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

University of the Philippines set out for its second round campaign on a positive strut after withstanding Adamson, 25-18, 14-25, 25-19, 21-25-16-14, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.

The Lady Maroons have now won two of their last three games and moved up to 3-5 while the Lady Falcons dropped to the same record after two straight setbacks since their upset of La Salle.

The two sides played in an intense toe-to-toe battle from the get-go until the decisive set where Adamson even managed to take the match point, 14-13, on a point from Mylene Paat

But Diana Carlos came up in the clutch for the Lady Maroons, scoring two straight points to give the Lady Maroons a 15-14 lead before Ayel Estrañero finished off the Lady Falcons with an off speed kill that Jema Galanza couldn’t get a hold of.

Lady Maroons head coach Godfrey Okumu said their win all boiled down to the winners’ mentality and desire to avenge their first round loss to the Lady Falcons.

“As we were fighting we didn’t want to lose against the same team twice,” said Okumu, whose Lady Maroons lost in straight sets against Adamson in the first round.

Okumu added that he is aware that they could not afford to let one game slip away at this point in the tournament.

“We just have to win every game… the teams we will play against are very good teams and we have to keep fighting.”

Carlos finished with a game-high 22 points while spike partner Isa Molde had 18 points with Marian Buitre pitching in 12.

Galanza led Adamson with 19 points while Chiara Permentilla and Paat had 17 and 14 points, respectively.

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