Tag: Vol. LXXXIII

UST keeps winning, but the gap is narrowing.

Winning the prestigious league’s overall championship plum has been quite a habit for UST, but as seasons count, the lead is slashed bit by bit as other competing universities start to fuel their firepower.

The University won its 14th-straight title, the 39th in its collection, but did so just 20 points ahead of De La Salle University.

Gilda Kamus, faculty secretary of the Institute of Physical Education and Athletics, admitted having jitters when UST was yet to secure the crown with La Salle close by. She credited the eventual victory to what she called “unending grace,” given the problems the athletes had gone through throughout the season.

THE UST Spikers fell short of an off-season title and settled for identical runners-up finishes in the second Eagle Ridge Volleyball Championship held at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in General Trias, Cavite from March 10 to 11.

The Lady Spikers succumbed to this year’s UAAP champion De La Salle University, 17-25, 23-25, 20-25, while their male counterparts bowed down to the National University (NU) Bulldogs, 22-25, 19-25, 22-25, in the championship round.

The España-based volleybelles scraped past the Far Eastern University (FEU) in the elimination round, 26-28, 25-20, 25-23, to secure the second spot. They also toppled the University of the East (UE), 26-24, 25-20, but lost to a veteran La Salle squad, 25-15, 25-23.

THE UST billiards team finished third after dropping in its semifinals game against Adamson University, 1-2, in the second season of the National Collegiate Billiards League (B-League) at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City last March 11.

“This is a major upset for us because we know we could win. Next year, I think we should go to the location on time for our warm-up,” Engineering sophomore and team captain Aaron Cedric Gonzales said.

Second-placer Adamson played with more vigor following a hapless performance last Jan. 22 where the Tigers swept the squad, 3-0. UST finished with a 40-11 win-loss card after 12 rounds of elimination.

TANAUAN, Batangas–The UST Lady Spikers dominated the 15th Nestea beach volleyball tournament (Metro Manila division) at the First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (Faith) sand courts from Mar. 25 to 27.

But the Tiger Spikers failed to duplicate the feat as they fell victim against two-time National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) beach volleyball champions Arellano University.

The UST duo of Maruja Banaticla and Judy Caballejo toppled the young De La Salle University tandem of Kim Fajardo and Wensh Tiu, 21-17, 21-18, to gain their first Metro Manila leg title.

Teamwork was the main recipe but individual efforts of Thomasian athletes helped ensure yet another general UAAP championship for UST.

For Aaron Morales, team captain of the table tennis squad, winning the MVP award was just a bonus. The goal was for the Tiger Paddlers to defend the title and they did, thanks to Morales, who missed the previous season.

Tiger Spiker Jayson Ramos capped his collegiate career with four titles in five years on top of Rookie of the Year and MVP awards. The MVP plum was even more meaningful given the scathing criticisms on his supposedly poor playing condition.

AND SO it has become a habit.

Despite being hampered by training woes, Thomasian athletes brought home yet another UAAP general championship—their 14th straight and 39th over all and the most by any school in league history.

UST lorded over eight events and amassed 298 points, ahead of perennial rival De La Salle University, which collected 278 points, and Far Eastern University, which finished with 229 points.

“We were not expecting it because of the training problems that our athletes faced [due to the demolition of the old UST gymnasium] especially in basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, and even chess,” said Fr. Ermito de Sagon, O.P., Institute of Physical Education and Athletics (IPEA) director.

IT’S WORTH the wait.

After four years of heartbreak, UST’s rookie-laden women’s tennis team went home with the championship at the expense of De La Salle University, which was denied a third straight title, in their UAAP match that ended 3-2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center last Feb. 27.

Both teams were tied at 2-all after four games, but rookie Zaza Paulino played like a veteran at crunch time, drubbing Enah Baba, 6-3, 6-4, in a come-from-behind victory.

Season MVP Macy Gonzales and Rookie of the Year April Gonzales effortlessly pinned down La Salle’s Nadine Castillo and Aira Putiz, 6-0, 6-0.

AFTER years of supremacy, the UST Tiger Spikers surrendered their crown to long-time arch-nemesis Far Eastern University (FEU), 27-25, 15-25, 25-19, 21-25, 13-15, in their best-of-three championship series at the Arena in San Juan last Feb. 29.

Tiger Spiker Salvador Juan Depante III registered 23 points while Mark Gil Alfafara and Christian Arbasto combined for 30 markers. Finals’ Most Valuable Player (MVP) Rodolfo Labrador Jr. fired up 22 points for FEU.

In the deciding set, the Tamaraws took advantage of Alfafara’s faulty attacks to erect an easy 0-4 advantage. UST bounced back through Depante’s kills to slash the deficit to one point, 10-11.

THE UST Tracksters carved a pair of runner-up finishes in the UAAP athletics meet at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City last Feb. 12.

The Female Tracksters tallied a 5-12-4 gold-silver-bronze medal output, which was equivalent to 233 points. UST trails Far Eastern University (FEU), undefeated for nine consecutive years, which has 293 points.

The Male Tracksters improved on their third-place finish last year by amassing 160 points (4-2-4 gold-silver-bronze), which was behind FEU’s 188 points.

“Even if we were not as dominant, we were still fighting that why we climbed to second place,” said coach Manny Calipes, whose other wards were not able to play due to eligibility issues.

THE UST Lady Booters toppled a hapless De La Salle University squad, 1-0, while the Golden Booters settled for a 1-1 draw against La Salle’s men’s team in their respective UAAP matches at the Ateneo de Manila University football field last Jan 19.

Ace midfielder and national player Jowe-Ann Barruga sealed the game for UST in the 45th minute with a header that went over goalkeeper’s Hannah Ibarra outstretched arms.

The winning effort was Barruga’s way of making up for his absence in the Lady Booters’ pre-season training due to academic commitments. “I wanted to show that I could still keep up with my teammates despite missing training,” she said in Filipino after the game.