Golden Tigresses still a work in progress despite winning start

UST’s Angeline Poyos. SSL PHOTO

University of Santo Tomas (UST) coach Kung Fu Reyes still wants to see more from the Golden Tigresses with the cutthroat competition still ahead of them and despite asserting their dominance over familiar foe Perpetual Help System Dalta in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Championship.

“We still see something in our practices that they are not doing in the game so that’s still what we want them to execute,” Reyes said in Filipino after the Golden Tigresses shut down the Lady Altas, 25-12, 21-25, 25-15, 25-21, at FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.

The curtain-raiser reasserted UST’s bronze-medal triumph against Perpetual Help in the recently concluded SSL National Invitationals where the Golden Tigresses also overcame the Lady Altas in four sets.

Welcoming a rookie bunch this year, the Tigresses are trying to establish a solid chemistry between its newcomers and holdovers, something that Reyes wants to see more from his wards.

“We’re [building] familiarity along the way, every day so [I hope] we could maximize our strengths more with us together. We are [trying] to execute what we are doing in training so [in this tournament] we need to manifest it more,” Reyes said.

But UST always had its eyes set on the bigger prize and refuses to be shortsighted in their target as they aim to see the Golden Tigresses perform not only in the ongoing SSL but especially in the UAAP.

“We need to achieve higher. We need to overachieve whatever we did last time starting from our training, we need to go way beyond that,” Reyes said. “Even though we won, it’s a good game, a win is a win.”

Reyes is bracing for their next game on Monday where the Golden Tigresses’ will meet Letran as the longtime UST coach finds solutions for the weaknesses that he sees in his wards.

UST started their opening game with a 10-1 run with setter Cassie Carballo finding the Tigresses’ hitters early in the first set and their floor defense fending off the Lady Altas’ attempts.

Incoming Tigress rookie Angeline Poyos, who bagged the Best Outside Hitter award in the National Invitationals, continued her excellent play dealing 20 points on 16 kills.