WITH revenge in their minds, the University of Santo Tomas Lady Spikers locked horns with defending champions Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, only to suffer another humiliation.
UST collapsed in straight sets, 20-25, 21-25, 19-25 last August 1 at the UP College of Human Kinetics gym in Diliman.
Barely showing the determination that made them a formidable force last season, the UST Lady Spikers continued to display inconsistencies in their game as they hardly put up a fight against the more aggressive Lady Tamaraws.
FEU’s Mirriam De Leon went to work early, scoring on numerous aces, which cracked the UST defense wide open.
After an ace by UST team captain Kimberly Racaza, which tied the first set, 15-15, FEU unleashed an 8-3 run, forcing the Tigresses to call a time-out.
De Leon, however, scored the Lady Tamaraw’s final two kills as FEU took the first set.
Despite a poor start in the second set, UST valiantly fought with all their offensive firepower but still proved lacking in defense.
FEU’s Bunag converted teammate Ma. Theresa Iratay’s set-plays into booming spikes that left UST defenseless.
Kate Co Yu Kang’s spike cut the FEU lead to three, 24-21. But a service error by UST’s Joyce Calapan spelled doom for the España-based spikers.
FEU proved too much for UST to handle as the Lady Tamaraws raced to a 10-4 lead in the final set after an ace by Bunag.
After a time-out, Calapan and Co Yu Kang teamed up to spark a 10-2 run and cut the FEU lead to two, 16-14.
A short tip by Iratay made the score 23-19, in favor of FEU, which forced UST to call for another time-out.
Miscommunications in defense and an outside by Co Yu Kang, however, ended UST’s hopes of extracting revenge against their perennial rival.
“Masama ang receiving at service. Tapos naging factor din iyong miscom-munication nila,” UST coach Augusto Santamaria said.
The loss dropped UST’s record to 1-2 while FEU kept its unblemished record intact with three wins and no loss to obtain a firm grip on the leader board.
Previously, the UST Lady Spikers bounced back from an opening day loss to De La Salle University and bent their ire on the hapless Ateneo Lady Spikers via a sweep, 25-12, 25-22, 25-11 last July 29 at the UP-CHK gym.
The España-based spikers capitalized on Ateneo’s slow start in the first set and took an early 15-8 lead after an ace by Tigress Jocelyn Capati.
Another ace and a kill by rookie Anna Fulo enabled UST to run away with the first set.
The second set, however, showed a more determined Ateneo squad, as it kept the game close all throughout.
With UST leading, 15-9, Ateneo relied on a searing 9-2 run behind Cristy Migalbin and took a one-point lead.
Tigress Joyce Pano’s kill from the left side tied the game at 18-all. Consecutive outsides by UST and an ace from Ateneo’s Lani May Aguirre pushed Ateneo by three, 22-19.
Back-to-back kills by Pano forced Ateneo to call a time-out. It proved to be pointless, however, as Capati, Pano, and Fulo decimated the Ateneo defense and took the second set.
With UST on the verge of notching their first victory, there seemed to be no sign of hope for Ateneo, which continued to crumble under pressure.
Having the luxury of his veterans to stay on the bench, UST coach Santamaria then fielded in his rookies and second-stringers to test their mettle against the shorter Ateneo team.
Behind Capati and Fulo, UST toyed with Ateneo’s defense in the final set as it raced to a 10-1 lead.
As Ateneo frantically looked for ways to break it slump, UST fumbled on the offensive end, as three successive outsides made the score 10-4.
But that was the closest Ateneo could get as UST gathered its bearing back and released a finishing kick through Co Yu Kang’s ace. Dexter R. Matilla
