Tag: May 13

AWARE of the huge attention given to women’s volleyball, newly minted UST Golden Tigresses head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes, Jr. insists he's up for the challenge for the underachieving squad.

“Mas gusto ko magtrabaho under pressure, doon made-develop ‘yung patience at kung gaano kalawak ‘yung pag-iisip natin,” Reyes told the Varsitarian. “It’s a personal matter, my willingness to carry the team. Sabi ko nga, it is another page sa buhay ko.”

The former UAAP girls’ volleyball champion coach was named new chief tactician of the Tigresses last Apr. 22.

ED DAQUIOAG tried to carry the load for UST but the undermanned Growling Tigers bowed to the San Beda Red Lions, 64-74, in the 2015 FilOil Flying V Hanes Premier Cup at the San Juan Arena last May 2.

After a tightly contested first half, the reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball champion managed to pull away against the Growling Tigers after a 20-8 blitz in the third quarter to open a commanding 61-48 lead entering the final frame.

The Tigers relied on the stellar performance of Daquioag who spearheaded an 11-2 run to trim the lead to just 10, 59-69. The veteran guard scored 29 points.

ANOTHER YEAR, another missed opportunity for the UST Golden Tigresses.

The saying “nice guys finish last” sometimes holds true for sports, and the Tigresses, nice as they are, once again practically finished last after failing to enter the Final Four of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament for the third straight season.

The Tigresses, with a championship-caliber lineup on paper, proved one of the more disappointing UST teams in recent memory.

This is not a dig at the team, that sparked a mid-season outburst that put them as high as third place, regaining the Thomasians’ attention and excitement. But as the UAAP season progress, for unknown reasons, the Tigresses faltered.

FORMER UST team captains stepped up for the Lady Spikers in the Shakey’s V-League.

The duo of open spiker Aiza Maizo and setter Rhea Dimaculangan, who both suited up as guest players of UST, powered the Lady Spikers against Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 25-16, 25-23, 25-20, at The Arena in San Juan last April 25 to assure UST of a spot in the quarterfinals.

Maizo and Dimaculangan, both former MVPs, chalked up 16 points and 24 successful sets to help the Lady Spikers win their last elimination round assignment before the quarterfinals last April 30. The second-seeded UST sits behind defending champions Ateneo de Manila University in the Group A standings with a 3-1 win-loss card.

FOR THE first time since the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) finals, the Growling Tigers tangled with Ateneo de Manila University sans the pint-sized guard Jeric Fortuna.

But the Tigers still managed to pull off a 63-57 victory over the Blue Eagles despite a sloppy start at The Arena in San Juan last April 20.

Assistant coach Estong Ballesteros said the Tigers felt the absence of the veteran playmaker, who is now with the San Miguel Beermen in the Asean Basketball League (ABL), as they seemed to be out-of-sync on the offensive end early in the game.

THE UST Tigresses relied on the late-game heroics of veteran players Lore Rivera and Maica Cortes to topple University of the Philippines (UP), 70-65, and clinch their first win in the Filoil Flying V Pre-season Cup at The Arena in San Juan last April 27.

Rivera delivered a double-double performance for UST with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Cortes had a monster game as well with 17 markers and 21 boards.

With four minutes to play, UST made an 8-2 run highlighted by Rivera’s putback to erect a six-point lead, 57-51.

But UP’s Bea Daez, who scored a game-high 23 points, capitalized on several turnovers committed by the España-based cagebelles to reduce the gap to one, 61-62.

The Lady Spikers solidified their bid to keep their Shakey’s V-League title by trouncing the Southwestern University (SWU) Lady Cobras, 25-12, 25-18, 25-20, during their match at The Arena in San Juan last April 15.

The victory tied UST with the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Lady Stags with identical 2-0 win-loss cards at the top of the tournament’s Bracket A.

“Their performance was okay although not as good as I expected, but I was satisfied. It just so happened that some players got off their rhythm,” coach Cesael de los Santos said.

Not even SWU guest player Lasungnern Piyatida, a Thai national team heavyweight, could find a remedy for the Lady Cobras’ porous defense, underscored by reception errors and free balls.

In the opening set, the España-based squad capitalized on the attacking errors of the Lady Cobras to spark an early 6-0 run for an 8-2 score.

TOP UST Judokas paraded their skills and dominated the 2010 National Judo Individual Championships last April 17-19 at the De La Salle University Enrique M. Razon Sports Complex.

Representing various regions of the country, the España-based judokas amassed a 9-3-2 gold-silver-bronze medal tally.

UST’s new recruit Setsuko Ando reaped three gold medals—two in the -70 kg class (white belt and juniors) and one in the open weight division, defeating all regional champions from different divisions.

Pinning down Zamboanga representative Ainee Potenciano, Lady Judoka Jewel de Castro scored an ippon (whole point) barely 28 seconds into the match to ace the -63 kg division.

JOGGERS, retirees and health enthusiasts got into the groove as the UST Joggers and Wellness Association Incorporated conducted the second “USTep to Wellness” program last April 10 and 17 at the UST Plaza Mayor grounds.

Participants, some of which were senior citizens, shuffled between aerobics and “aero-dance” moves led by their fitness instructor Josie Domosmog.

“The aerobics that I taught to the members aims to condition the mind and body,” Domosmog said. 

The instructor also incorporated some ballroom dance into the routine like the cha-cha on the first day of the program and the ‘LA Walk’ on the second day. Tai-chi exercises were also given in the session last April 10.