THE UST Tiger Sands secured their fifth straight win after sweeping the top-seeded NU Lady Bulldogs, 21-19, 21-16, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s beach volleyball tournament at the SM Sands by the Bay on Saturday.
The win propelled the Tiger Sands to the top of the standings with a 6-1 record and the edge based on the superior rally point ratio (1.065).
UST had a four-point lead early in the second frame, 5-1, but the Lady Bulldogs pulled off a 5-1 run capped by a Mary Orillaneda dropball to tie the set.
Back-to-back errors by Lady Bulldog Honey Cordero gave UST a two-point lead midway through the set, 15-13.
A Gen Eslapor crosscourt kill capped a game-sealing 6-3 run for UST, 21-16.
Trailing by four in the first frame, 15-11, Lady Bulldog Orillaneda poured an attack point to inch the gap, 16-all. The UST duo shook off their jitters and secured the first set with an Eslapor kill, 21-19.
“Siyempre masaya ako dahil na-convert namin into a win ‘yong matagal na naming pinaghandaan (NU).” UST head coach Paul Jan Doloiras told the Varsitarian.
“Heading into the semis…kailangan lang namin ng mas matatag na mental toughness para ma-ensure ang panalo.”
With a three-way tie among UST (1.065), NU (1.055) and FEU (0.898), which all had identical 6-1 records, the Tiger Sands became the top-seeded team by virtue of a superior rally point ratio.
The Tiger Sands will next face University of the Philippines in the semifinals on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 9:30 a.m. at the same venue.
