THEY MAY have waved a frustrating exit in Season 70, but the stigma of a rather unflattering third-place finish last year hardly stymied the UST Lady Spikers from picking up the pieces of a botched UAAP campaign and returning to the limelight.
True enough, the Lady Spikers wasted no time in proving their readiness to reclaim the UAAP volleyball throne as they breezed past last season’s bridesmaids Adamson University, 25-19, 25-20, 25-22, to rule the Philippine Volleyball Federation Inter-collegiate League at the Rizal Technological University (RTU) gym last May 24.
“Our service-receive defensive scheme is now better than what we had last UAAP season, but there is still a room for improvement” coach Cesael de los Santos told the Varsitarian. “The official games are still far but by then, this team will become even stronger.”
The Lady Spikers greeted the finals with an early 9-5 first-set advantage capped by a brew of cross-court kills and wily dropshots from ace spiker Venus Bernal.
Hoping to bounce back from a so-so first set, Adamson tightened its defense, allowing the San Marcelino-based squad to close in at 15-18. But the Espana-based Spikers responded well, unleashing a decisive 4-0 blast late in the second set courtesy of Rhea Dimaculangan and Mary Jean Balse’s superb blocking.
With its vaunted firepower slowly unnerving the opposition, UST immediately grabbed an 8-4 margin in the third frame.
In the succeeding plays however, Lady Falcon Janette Serafica cut the deficit to three, 20-23. But there was no stopping UST’s date with destiny as Bernal and Mary Jean Balse went for the jugular, delivering the pair of haymakers that completely spelled Adamson’s doom.
Balse carried the Lady Spikers to victory with 14 points while Risa Laguilles led the Lady Falcons with 12 points.
Aside from taking home the championship trophy, UST also reaped individual honors with Balse, Bernal and Angeli Tabaquero being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, Best Attacker and Best Server, respectively.
Road to the finals
In the semifinals, the Lady Spikers banked on the heroics of Tabaquero to trounce the De La Salle University Lady Archers in straight sets, 25-18, 25-19, 25-16, last May 24, and arrange a finals meeting with Adamson.
Previously, UST slapped the University of Cordillera with a two-fold defeat, 25-12, 25-16, 25-8 in the quarterfinals last May 23, and 25-14, 25-4,25-13, last May 21.
Earlier in the tournament, the Lady Spikers crushed the St. Louis University, 25-14, 25-8, 25-17, three days after disposing off RTU, 25-21, 5-10, 25-19, last May 17.
Due to opening-game jitters, the Lady Spikers bowed to La Salle, 23-25, 25-22, 24-26, 33-35, last May 17. H.J.D. Brobo
