UAAP volleyball: La Salle-NU square off, but UST has limelight

UST Golden Tigresses in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. – UAAP PHOTO

Young and undersized University of Santo Tomas has taken the limelight away from the heavyweights of the previous two seasons of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament, and even if La Salle and National U reprise their Finals matches at the end of the first round on Saturday, the Golden Tigresses will still have all eyes on them.

The Tigresses gun for a sweep of the first round at Smart Araneta Coliseum when they battle struggling Adamson in the 4 p.m. main game, as the clash between the Lady Spikers and Lady Bulldogs will be the appetizer at 2 p.m.

There is indeed life after Eya Laure left España at the end of last season, and the Tigresses are on a magical run using sophomores and a number of rookies to beat the powerhouses of the league, counting a straight set conquest of the Lady Bulldogs and a five-set suspense theater win over the Lady Spikers.

READ: Behind UST’s unbeaten start in UAAP volleyball: The ‘fantastic’ coaching staff

Rookie Angge Poyos, who leads everyone in scoring, still has the perfect mindset through all of that.

“We still can’t be complacent,” Poyos said in Filipino when it was pointed out that Santo Tomas is the overwhelming pick over the Lady Falcons.

Last UST sweep

The last time Santo Tomas swept a round was in the 2006 season, when Poyos was two years old.

“It’s still a long season and the second round is just around the corner. We simply cannot relax.”While the Tigresses are making it known that there is life after Laure and Co., the Lady Falcons are still feeling the effects of the departure of several key players from last season’s impressive third place finish.

READ: UAAP volleyball: Inspired Banagua stepping up for UST Tigresses

Adamson will come into the match still licking the wounds of a 25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-23 setback to Ateneo last Wednesday, which dropped the Lady Falcons to a fifth place tie with the Blue Eagles in fifth spot at 3-3.

Meanwhile, La Salle-National U promises to be a thriller, with both sides winning their matches after losing to the Tigresses.

The Lady Spikers are on a three-game winning streak, while the Lady Bulldogs have won their last five after being swept on opening day.

“They just woke up from that loss. They just stepped up their game,” La Salle assistant Noel Orcullo said of National U in Filipino. “And we simply cannot take the blueprint of that UST win and apply it in our game.““What we need to figure out is how they (Lady Bulldogs) have raised their games.”

Bella Belen, the National U spearhead, is also cautious in facing old rival Angel Canino and La Salle.

“That’s a champion team,” Belen said. “And we all know that it will be a tough game.” INQ