THERE has been a reversal of fates for the UST Senior Volleyball Teams this season as the Tiger Spikers have zoomed to the top of the standings, while the rookie and sophomore-laden Lady Spikers are at a dismal fifth.
The Tiger Spikers, who finished fourth last season, took a backseat to the more illustrious performance of the Lady Spikers in Season 67. The Thomasian volleybelles, however, are treading dangerous ground toward the semis this year, while the Tiger Spikers are confidently toting a 10-1 win-loss card after an opening day setback to the University of the Philippines (UP) Maroons.
Coach August Santamaria’s Lady Spikers, at 7-4, have been struggling with chinks in their once solid lineup, but are steadily recovering from the slump. The Season 67 bridesmaids have notched three consecutive victories, following a so-so first-round showing.
Unstoppable
The Tiger Spikers opened the second round of eliminations with three consecutive straight-set demolitions of University of the Philippines (UP), De La Salle University (La Salle), and Adamson University (Adamson).
UST’s most recent victim was UE in a 22-25, 25-16, 25-19, 32-30 match last Sept. 4.
Against UST’s strong starting rotation led by team skipper and hotshot setter Christian Fernandez, the Red Warriors never got their offense going after winning the first set.
“Our lineup is stronger compared to the other teams because we only lost one player in our starting rotation. Most of us are already familiar with the team’s strategies,” Fernandez said.
The veteran tosser said the team is having minor problems with blocking, but other than that, he believes UST is in championship form.
“After every game, we huddle and talk about their good points and bad points,” Lontoc said of their post-game evaluation. “Malaking tulong ‘yon para malaman ng players kung ano ang dapat nilang gawin pa para tumaas ang level ng kanilang laro.”
With just three matches left in the eliminations, Lontoc is already confident of his team’s Finals stint.
“Mataas ang winning quotient namin. We’ve consistently improved our game and I don’t believe there is anything that can stop our momentum,” UST’s long-time mentor said.
Defending champion Far Eastern University (FEU) and perennial title-contender UP may be stumbling blocks to UST’s victory, but Lontoc believes the team is conditioned to reap the fruits of its labor since the off-season.
“(The boys) underwent tough physical preparation. We have a training program to hone their individual skills and make sure they play to their potential,” said Lontoc of his team, which recently played against the RP Men’s Volleyball team in a friendship game.
Troubled
While the Tiger Spikers are enjoying the top billing, their female counterparts are having a hard time to stay in contention for a Final Four slot.
In the first round, the Lady Spikers struggled, winning just three of their seven games. But the España-based volleybelles are slowly recovering, recently demolishing University of the East, 23-25, 25-22, 25-7, 25-22 last Sept. 4..
Backstopped by Season 67 Rookie of the Year Mary Jean Balse, UST pulled off a shocker against defending champion La Salle, 17-25, 14-25, 25-18, 25-20, 17-15, last Aug. 24.
“Initially, we had problems with our setter (Denise Tan) because she is still adjusting to the level of competition, but she is gradually improving,” assistant coach Cesael de los Santos said.
Team skipper and open hitter Kate Co Yu Kang, who is still recovering from the knee injury she sustained in the Shakey’s V-League last May, has been relegated to libero, alongside rookie Joanne de la Fuente.
De los Santos said Co Yu Kang, hailed as V-League Best Digger, has shown remarkable improvement as a defensive specialist.
The Lady Spikers are looking to sustain the momentum from a three-game winning run to earn a semis ticket, but they may face tough competition from La Salle, Adamson, FEU, and UE.
