Tigresses take V-League top seed after sweep of Maroons
University of Santo Tomas is using every platform it can to give its young team enough game experience to enhance its maturity.
But with the No. 1 seed within reach, it was the old reliables that came through for the Tigresses.
“We’re working on our maturity, decision-making, and judgment, those things,” UST coach Kungfu Reyes said on Wednesday after the Tigresses’ 25-15, 25-14, 25-23 over the University of the Philippines Maroons in the V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge.
“The skills are there, we’re enhanching them during training. So we need avenues like the V-League because this a a big opportunity especially for the rookies,” Reyes added after the match at Paco Arena.
Up two sets to none but trailing by five in the third, UST summoned Regine Jurado and Cassie Carballo to mount a comeback and hike its winning streak to five.
UP dropped to 3-3 and is in danger of missing out on a quarterfinal appearance.
Jurado came through with a key attack that trimmed the deficit to two midway in the third set. She finished with seven points. Angge Poyos, the UAAP Season 86 Rookie of the Year awardee, led UST with 15 points while Carballo came through with 12 pinpoint sets while also chipping in four points.
Kianne Olango and Niña Ytang kept the fight alive for the Maroons but could not overcome the team’s errors late in the third set.
Olango, a rookie, finished with eight points to lead UP while Ytang added seven.
Meanwhile, in men’s action, UST crushed Ateneo, 25-22, 25-16, 25-18, to wrap up its own dominating run in the preliminaries.
The Golden Spikers cemented a 5-2 (win-loss) record.
Far Eastern U continues to lead the league with a 6-1 slate, with La Salle looking to match that record when it faces National U (4-2) on Friday in a duel that will determine the final seedings for the semifinals.
“I think we’re on the right track,” said UST coach Odjie Mamon.
