FOR THE first time in 10 years, the UST Lady Spikers missed the UAAP Final Four after they were eliminated by first-time semi-finalists National University in a battle for the last final four slot, 19-25, 25-21, 16-25, 23-25, at The Arena in San Juan last Feb. 20.
A perennial powerhouse in women’s volleyball with 14 championships under its belt, UST held the longest streak of Final Four appearances with 10.
“Malaki talaga yung naging problema sa reception. We had abysmal receiving,” said coach Odjie Mamon, whose wards finished with an 8-7 win-loss card to settle at fifth place.
“The players were so tense na parang wala silang confidence. Considering na two days prior the game, ‘yun lang pinrepare namin. Siguro ‘yung pressure na it was a do-or-die game, tapos kulang sa pa tao,” Mamon added, referring to the absence of starting libero Dancel Dusaran who missed the NU game due to flu.
Team captain Judy Caballejo, who played her final game with the Lady Spikers, and sophomore Carmela Tunay were the only double-digit scorers for UST with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Maru Banaticla continued her scoring woes, tallying only a single point.
Cai Nepomuceno erupted for 23 points while former UST player Dindin Santiago chalked up 21 markers for NU.
After seizing a 23-22 lead off a Loren Lantin block on NU’s Carmina Aganon, the Lady Bulldogs surged ahead with three straight points, capped by Nepomuceno's back-to-back scores to seal the match and secure the last semis spot.
The Lady Spikers leveled the match at one set apiece with a strong second set anchored on efficient attacks and improved floor defense. Tunay ended the second set with a resounding kill on a combination play, 25-21.
In the crucial third set, the Lady Bulldogs jumped on an early six-point advantage, 5-11, with a six-point spur.
“The whole season in review, in a scale of 1-10, I think the team performed 5,” Mamon said. “Preparation-wise, prepared naman kaya lang ‘yung potential ng players, di na-meet. Hindi lumabas ‘yung full potentials nila.”
