The UST Junior Golden Tigresses wrapped up their first-round campaign with a win against the University of the Philippines Integrated School Baby Maroons, 25-11, 25-8, 25-13, in the UAAP Season 85 girls’ volleyball tournament at the Paco Arena on Monday.
UST ended the first round at fourth place with a 2-3 win-loss record.
Ahead by eight in the final frame, 18-10, the Junior Golden Tigresses used a late 6-3 spurt capped off by Jenn Gould’s crosscourt kill to seal the win.
Trailing by 11 points midway the second set, 18-7, the error-plagued Baby Maroons committed a double contact violation that gave UST a two-set advantage, 25-8.
The Junior Golden Tigresses used an early 17-6 run in the first frame, UST’s Mary Banagua made a service ace to end the first set, 25-11.
UST head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes said that this victory would give the Junior Tigresses their much needed confidence in the upcoming second round games.
“We finished on a high note para sa second round. Magandang panalo ito para pagdating namin ng second round, additional motivation para sa kanila to strive harder,” Reyes told the Varsitarian.
“Hopefully, malinis namin yung laro pa namin. Hindi pa siya ganoong kapulido gaya ng ginagawa namin sa mga previous matches namin especially no’ng pre-tournament,” he added.
In the boys’ division, the UST Junior Tiger Spikers demolished the De La Salle Zobel School, 25-9, 25-4, 25-18, to maintain a three-way tie with Far Eastern University-Diliman and Nazareth School of National University with identical 3-1 record.
The league has yet to announce the schedule of the second round boys’ and girls’ tournament matches. with reports from John Peter L. Cajayon
