IN WHAT could be a preview of UAAP’s second round action, the UST contingent turned in a dominant performance, bagging four gold medals and two silver medals in the 18th Philippine University Games held at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod last Oct. 22 to 28.
Leading the gold-medal winners were the Lady Spikers, who turned back Far Eastern University (FEU) in a hard-fought 25-13, 10-25, 14-25, 25-14, 15-8 victory in the Finals.
Head coach Odgie Mamon admitted that the victory was unexpected.
The Lady Spikers found themselves trailing, two sets to one, in the game, but Mamon kept on encouraging his players.
“I just told them to play their usual game and not think about losing. I also told them to just remember three things: play your best, learn from your mistakes and have fun,” he said.
The Tiger Spikers failed to get past the preliminary rounds. Reigning UAAP champion National University clinched the title at the expense of De La Salle University.
“We’re still having problems with teamwork but we’re slowly building good communication [among ourselves],” reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player Mark Gil Alfafara said.
Alfafara added that the Unigames became the team’s performance barometer toward the “real competition”—the UAAP wars which will start this November.
Other teams that will be seeing action in the second semester also showed force for UST in hopes of regaining the general championship, which La Salle is again poised to bring home after leading in the first half of Season 76.
In lawn tennis, the Male and Female Tennisters both finished at the top as they outclassed La Salle and Ateneo de Manila University, respectively, for a sweep of the gold-medal events. The Female Tennisters placed third last year.
The Female Tracksters ranked second behind perennial UAAP contender FEU in athletics. The Lady Booters also settled for silver, losing the women’s football title also to the Lady Tamaraws.
The Tigresses showed promise for the next UAAP season after emerging champions against Adamson University in women’s basketball to complete the University’s gold-medal tally.
Last year, UST finished with a lone gold medal. Paul Kennedy A. Lintag
