Tag: No. 2

DETERMINADONG magpakitang gilas ang dating UAAP juniors scoring champion Henri Lorenzo Subido suot ang gintong uniporme ng UST.

Lumalaban para sa Growling Tigers, isa ang dating point guard ng De La Salle-Zobel sa mga inaasahang mahahasa ng todo ang kakayahan sa kanyang unang sabak sa seniors league.

Ayon sa 18 na taong gulang na rookie, UST ang kanyang naging prayoridad matapos makita ang pagpapahalaga ng unibersidad sa edukasyon.

Pinili rin niyang maglaro para sa Growling Tigers dahil nakita niyang dito mas uusbong ang kaniyang basketball career.

Naniniwala si Subido na mas mabibigyan siya ng exposure sa UST, at magkakaroon siya ng pagkakataon na matuto mula sa mga beteranong sina Kevin Ferrer, Karim Abdul at Aljon Mariano.

NALASAP ng UST Growling Tigresses ang kanilang ikalawang sunod na talo sa ikalawang round ng UAAP women’s basketball tournament matapos yumukod sa defending champion na De La Salle University (DLSU) Lady Archers, 63-69, sa Mall of Asia Arena noong Agosto 20.

Matapos ang 16 na puntos na abante ng La Salle noong third quarter, nakahabol ang Tigresses sa ikaapat na yugto, 63-66, ng may 1:02 pang nalalabi matapos ang apat na magkasunod na puntos ni Lore Rivera.

Ngunit ang split freethrows ni Lady Archer Miller Ong at apat pang freethrow ni Camille Claro ang sumelyo sa laro, 69-63.

“A lot of chances ang nabigay sa atin pero hindi tayo naka-convert kanina,” ani head coach Chris Cantonjos.

MULING magbabalik ang isang pamilyar na mukha upang maging tinig ng Growling Tigers mula sa sidelines para sa UAAP Season 77.

Sa kaniyang ikalawang taon, si Kristelle-Ann Batchelor, dating Special Reports editor at kasalukuyang Circle editor ng Varsitarian, ang muling magbabalita bilang courtside reporter ng UST.

Ayon kay Batchelor, nanaig ang kaniyang pagiging madasalin at malapit sa Diyos kaya nalagpasan niya ang hindi birong proseso ng pagpili sa mga courtside reporters para sa ika-77 na taon ng UAAP.

“Sa St. Jude, kapag daw nag-novena ka, matutupad [‘yung gusto mo]. So sinubukan ko siya. Sakto, noong ninth day, tinawagan ako ng ABS-CBN na ako ulit [ang courtside reporter para sa UST],” ani Batchelor.

THEY won’t get into action until the second half of the UAAP season’s first semester, but these squads are raring to go after UST lost its overall title last year. Will they deliver and help bring back the championship to UST?

Here’s the Varsitarian’s fearless forecast. 

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Tiger Spikers
Last year: Last Place
Prediction: Final Four

Under a new coaching staff and boosted by UAAP Season 75 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mark Gil Alfafara, the Tiger Spikers hope to rebound from a nightmarish campaign last season.

WILL A Philippine volleyball selection bannered by former UST standouts get another chance?

After losing its last game against Indonesia in the FIVB Women's Volleyball World Championship Qualification Zonal Round Southeast Asia, the Shakey’s V-League Selection, the country’s official delegate to the tournament, was disbanded by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) last June 16.

The Filipino tossers ended the tournament with a dismal 1-2 win-loss record, the lone victory coming against Myanmar, 20-25, 25-14, 25-10, 25-17. They yielded first to eventual champion and host country Vietnam, 25-9, 25-11, 25-18, last June 14.

THE BEACH volleyball teams have found new mentors in two of their own.

Henry James Pecaña, UAAP Season 72 Finals MVP, and Paul Jan Doloiras, a two-time UAAP Best Receiver, will inherit the coaching reins from multi-titled Emil Lontoc, who steered UST to four championships (men’s and women’s) since beach volleyball started as a demonstration sport in 2006.

Lontoc opted to focus on indoor volleyball after the Tiger Spikers failed to make it to the Final Four last season, their worst record in eight years.

Pecaña said he was recommended by Lontoc to succeed him as coach, knowing UST preferred its former players.

THE GROWLING Tigers have a new courtside reporter and she’s none other than the Varsitarian’s own, Special Reports editor Kristelle Ann Batchelor.

This 18-year-old, half-Puerto Rican, half-Filipina stunner replaces former beauty queen and model Tina Marasigan, who reported from the sidelines for the Tigers the last two years.

Batchelor admitted she had big shoes to fill, but was confident she would deliver and make the UST community proud.

“I feel the pressure because she (Marasigan) was our courtside reporter for the last two UAAP seasons and she was one of the best,” said Batchelor, a third-year journalism student. “(But) step by step, I’m slowly getting the hang of the sport.”

SWEETER the second time around.

Just like their first-round encounter last season, the UST Growling Tigers held on to a slim lead down the stretch to escape De La Salle University in overtime, 63-58, to open their UAAP men’s basketball campaign on a high note at the jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena last June 29.

Team captain Jeric Teng exploded for a game-high 23 points and six rebounds, including four consecutive points in the extra period, to pilot the Tigers to their first win.

Karim Abdul displayed an all-around performance and racked up 17 markers, 10 boards, two assists, two steals and three blocks.