MANILA, Philippines – In arguably the best game in the early goings of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament, UST showed elite poise in a roller-coaster five-setter, reasserting mastery over La Salle, 25-12, 22-25, 13-25, 25-23, 15-13, at the rocking Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, February 26.
Angge Poyos, like the rest of the Golden Tigresses, left nothing in the tank against the Lady Spikers, exploding for a game-high 28 points on 24 attacks, 3 blocks, and 1 ace to nullify former MVP Angel Canino’s triple-double of 25 points, 17 excellent digs, and 16 excellent receptions.
With its fourth straight win over La Salle in the bag, UST rose to a 2-1 record to send the Lady Spikers to their worst start (1-2) in 19 long years, or since Season 68.
Escaping by the skin of their teeth in a crucial fourth-set takeover, the Tigresses bucked a 7-3 start by La Salle in the fifth and quickly got within 7-6, before clinching an 8-all tie off a Reg Jurado cross.
With Poyos keeping in step with the Lady Spikers to deny a crucial two-point lead, UST finally got over the hump in the match’s twilight, 12-11, thanks to a Canino attack that sailed wide.
The Tigresses then got the two-point cushion they needed off a clutch Marga Altea hit off an overreceive, 13-11, before Jurado clinched match point with a crafty off-speed push off the combination play, 14-12.
Likely gassed from emotion, pressure, and plain exhaustion, both squads traded errors to end the match, as Bianca Plaza bungled a serve, 14-13, before rookie La Salle libero Pia Rodriguez committed a costly double contact violation to hand UST the win after two hours and 19 minutes of cardiac action.
Tigresses captain Detdet Pepito shored up the defense as usual with 24 excellent digs and 16 excellent receptions, star setter Cassie Carballo tallied 22 excellent sets, and Jurado scored 17 to round out UST’s usual suspects at the top of the stat sheet.
Shevana Laput backstopped Canino in the crushing loss with 18 points and setter Mikole Reyes tossed 15 excellent sets, while middle blocker Amie Provido scattered 10 points off 6 attacks, 2 blocks, and 2 aces. – Rappler.com