UST captures twin championships in UAAP volleyball

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THE TIGER Spikers put an end to their three-year finals dry spell while the Lady Spikers reclaimed the crown they lost last season as UST took home twin championships in the UAAP Season 79 beach volleyball tournaments at the Sands at SM by the Bay last Oct. 9.

Despite sweeping the elimination round and the finals, it was not an easy road for the Tiger Spikers, especially for Most Valuable Player Kris Roy Guzman, as they suffered three consecutive finals losses the past three years.

Guzman has been to the finals for three straight years only to lose against the National University in 2013 and to the Ateneo de Manila University in 2014 and 2015. This year, he chose to focus on beach volleyball alone, dropping indoor volleyball out of his priorities.

THE TIGER Spikers put an end to their three-year finals dry spell while the Lady Spikers reclaimed the crown they lost last season as UST took home twin championships in the UAAP Season 79 beach volleyball tournaments at the Sands at SM by the Bay last Oct. 9.

Despite sweeping the elimination round and the finals, it was not an easy road for the Tiger Spikers, especially for Most Valuable Player Kris Roy Guzman, as they suffered three consecutive finals losses the past three years.

Guzman has been to the finals for three straight years only to lose against the National University in 2013 and to the Ateneo de Manila University in 2014 and 2015. This year, he chose to focus on beach volleyball alone, dropping indoor volleyball out of his priorities.

“As long as my playing years are not over, I will not give up in bringing the crown back to UST,” said Guzman, who was moved to tears moments after winning Game 2 of the finals over the Far Eastern University, 21-16, 21-16, with partner Anthony Arbasto.

Women’s MVP Cherry Rondina, meanwhile, had to start from scratch with a new coach and a new teammate in Paul Jan Doloiras and Jem Gutierrez, respectively.

Rondina saw the Lady Spikers, who won the title in 2014, slump to fifth place last season and she had nothing in mind but redemption.

“I’m happy because we redeemed ourselves. I told myself that we needed to get the crown for all of our hardwork to pay off,” said Rondina.

The Lady Spikers surrendered Game 2 against the Bernadette Pons-Kylie Atienza tandem of FEU but got their bearings back in their 21-17, 21-14 Game 3 win with Rondina chalking up 22 points.

For Gutierrez, who has been with the UST volleyball program for almost five years now but rode the Golden Tigresses’ bench for most of the time, the chance for playing alongside Rondina as replacement for the injured Rica Jane Rivera was the chance she had been waiting for to showcase her wares.

“I’m so happy because this is the break I’ve been waiting for. This is the moment that I can prove myself, I can prove that our coaches are good. I can prove that UST can win, that I chose the right school to play for,” said Gutierrez.

The soft-spoken Doloiras was maybe the lucky charm the team needed for the Tiger Spikers to end their six-year title drought and for the Lady Spikers to win their fourth crown, heartily sharing he won all of his first times: winning titles in his first year in high school and in college before ultimately reigning as champion as a first time head coach.

“I was about to leave before but we had an agreement that I would stay as a coach if they will play under me. They told me to give them the hardest training I could give for them to get the championship. The players fought hard for this championship, sacrificing more than sweat and blood,” said Doloiras.

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