OUTSTANDING.
For Coach Augusto Santamaria, the word encapsulates the performance of the UST Lady Spikers as they swept the best-of-three finals series against the De La Salle University Lady Archers in the 1st Shakey’s V-League last July 4.
The powerhouse lineup of the 2003 UAAP Women’s Volleyball champs was no match for the España-based squad that registered an, 18-25, 25-22, 25-13, 25-20 victory in the hour-and-52-minute outing in game two.
In the first set, the Lady Spikers’ sluggish defense allowed the Lady Archers, led by skipper Maureen Penetrante, to bury the ball almost anywhere inside UST’s court. Lady Archer Reiea Ferina Saet, the UAAP Best Setter last season, orchestrated plays with timing and a touch of acrobatics, to extend the lead of DLSU, 4-13. UST inched closer after a series of errors from the DLSU squad, but the rally came too late, as Carissa Gotis, a former Tiger Spiker herself, finished the set with a down the line smash.
In the second juncture, Santamaria made a couple of adjustments that proved to be advantageous for the Lady Spikers. Mary Jean Balse, who was in the wing in the first set, traded places with center spiker Anna Fulo. Balse, a much taller quicker than Fulo, was unstoppable in the middle with sharp kills and precise blocks. Veteran Joyce Pano unleashed her hard-hitting spikes, completely dismantling the Lady Archers’ defense.
The Spikers’ fierce domination carried on to the third set.
Bridget Inoferio, who only saw action in the Finals series, teamed up with Balse to create their version of the twin towers. Their superb blocking limited the Lady Archers to only two points from attacks, both from open hitter Desiree Hernandez.
After a 6-0 rally courtesy of Pano in the fourth set, the UST squad never looked back.
Venus Bernal and Balse then powered their spikes to score points off the DLSU blockers. The Archers touched closer at 21-18 after two quick spikes from Penetrante. But it was the closest DLSU could get as UST closed the set with a blast as Pano smashed the ball across the court.
“La Salle was very energetic in the first set. Grabe yung mga galaw nila eh,” Santamaria said of their opponent’s performance.
UST also gave the first set away during their first finals encounter, 17-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16, last July 1.
However, the setback did not discourage the squad but motivated them to work harder.
“I told my players, ‘sige lang, parausin niyo lang ‘yan and we’ll pound them in the second set’,” Santamaria said.
In the end, his leadership and the Lady Spikers’ hard work paid off. He credited the squad for its concerted effort to bring home the bacon.
“The whole team did a great job, but individually, it was Balse and Pano,” he added.
If their victory in the off-season tourney is a sign, the UAAP trophy might just be within arms reach of the Lady Spikers. However, their lineup might not be as intact as previously hoped.
Pano has played out her UAAP years, while Fulo has to leave for academic reasons.
“The UAAP is another tournament. We no longer have Pano and Fulo,” Santamaria acknowledged. “Pero we’re going to make adjustments, definitely. Abangan na lang nila.”
Aside from claiming the top gem, the UST players also reaped individual awards. Balse, the rookie sensation from University of Mindanao, was proclaimed the Most Valuable Player of the League. Pano received the Best Server distinction while floor leader Kate Co Yu Kang, who is part of the RP team seeing action in the Princess Cup in Thailand, was Best Receiver.
