Tag: March 25

DESPITE heavy reinforcement, the UST Golden Tigresses succumbed to defending champion National University (NU), 19-25, 22-25, 25-18, 26-24, 15-10, in their nail-biting Shakey's V-League match at The Arena in San Juan last Mar. 30.

UST, which acquired former setter Rhea Dimaculangan and reigning UAAP girls’ Most Valuable Player Ennajie Laure as guest players, dropped their season-opener while the Lady Bulldogs improved to a 2-0 win-loss record in Pool B.

Other teams in the same bracket with the Tigresses are Ateneo de Davao University, Far Eastern University and NCAA teams San Sebastian College-Recolletos and University of Perpetual Help System-DALTA.

On court, Ennajie Laure, UAAP girls’ volleyball Best Spiker, is the happy-go-lucky type while younger sister and teammate Ejiya, the tourney’s Best Setter, is the fiery one.

But this contrast in demeanor and their similar passion for the game help make them a potent combination for the UST volleyball squad.

Ennajie, or EJ to her friends, admitted that her smile is part of her strategy.

“Although we’re down by huge deficits in games, if my teammates see me smiling, they lose their jitters,” the 16-year-old volleybelle said. “When opponents see me like that, they’re thrown off their focus because they get the impression that they can’t break my spirit.”

Ejiya, or Eya, has always been the fierce one.

JUGGLING sports, academics and other priorities could be exhausting, so athletes let off steam through hobbies and other personal activities.

Siblings Amber and Arvin Plaza of the UST Golden Sox, both music enthusiasts, are members of “Band 202,” a group they formed with teammate Carlo Conge from College of Education and Golden Sox alumni Gerald Dinglasa and Mick Zapanta

The elder Amber, a Communication Arts senior from the Faculty of Arts and Letters, is lead vocalist while Education junior Arvin plays the bass guitar. Conge is drummer while Dinglasa and Zapanta are rhythm and lead guitarist, respectively.

THE UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe (SDT) placed fourth in the NCR Qualifiers of the National Cheerleading Competition (NCC) last Feb. 8 to 9 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

But the group failed to get a podium finish in the National Finals last Mar. 8 to 9 at the same venue.

Garnering 288 points in the qualifying round, SDT placed fourth in the qualifying round which was topped by reigning UAAP Cheerdance Competition champion National University (NU) Cheer Squadron, with 341.5 points. Two-time NCC champion Central Colleges of the Philippines (CCP) finished second with 294 points, while seven-time NCAA cheerleading champion University of Perpetual Help settled for third with 290 points.

SCORING half of his team’s goals, Stephen Iyerio led the Ecclesiastical Faculties (Eccle) football team to a 5-0 demolition of the Arts and Letters Football Club (ABFC) to rule the Thomasian Goodwill Games men’s football tournament at the UST Open Field last Feb. 26.

Iyerio scored two goals at the opening minute and again at the 8th.

Gab Angeles of ABFC came off a midfield scramble and attacked Eccle’s defense, but was easily denied.

Brian Werunga also put himself on the board, feigning to the left before sending the ball the other way to score the third goal for Eccle at the 60th minute.

At the 77th minute, Iyerio stole the ball off a throw-in, dribbled it from beyond the midfield and connected for Eccle’s fourth goal.

FOR THE fourth consecutive year, UST won again the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) general championship its 18th in 21 years.

Overall, UST has won 29 general championships out of the 64 years of the UAAP, making it the most dominant presence in collegiate sports in the country.

HIGHLIGHTING the maiden week-long celebration of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA), the UST Fencing Team held the University banner sky-high above other schools in the first-ever Tiger Cup Fencing Tournament last Mar. 5 at the Engineering Complex.

Dominating the competition of amateur fencers from different schools and universities around Metro Manila, the Thomasian fencers garnered a whopping six gold medals tally, six silvers and four bronzes.

LOCAL celebrities teamed up with four of the country’s best tennis players and slugged it out with the recently-crowned UAAP champions, the UST Tennisters, during the third leg of the first-ever 96.3 WRock University Challenge last Mar. 8 at the UST Tennis Courts.

The Rock n’ Roll All Star Team, composed of actors Mandy Ochoa, Miguel Vera, brothers Kier and Zoren Legazpi and RP team tennis players Johnny Arcilla, Adelo Abadia, Jun-Jun Toledo and Joseph Victorino got the better of the UST team, 5-2.