THE UST Golden Tigresses capped their UAAP Season 78 campaign with a four-set loss against the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons, 25-17, 21-25, 20-25, 20-25, at the Mall of Asia Arena Sunday.
Four Lady Maroons finished in double digits. Rookie Isa Molde led UP with a game-high 23 points while Marian Buitre had 12 markers.
UST kept the fourth set close, 12-14, before the Lady Maroons ignited a quick 7-0 run to pull away for good, 21-12.
A down-the-line kill from Molde sealed the match for UP.
The Tigresses were holding on a huge lead late in the third set, 18-12, but UP retaliated with a 10-0 run to grab the lead, 22-20.
“We came up short. ‘Yung outcome na gusto nating mangyari, hindi natin na-meet. [Nagkulang kami] sa leadership. Hopefully next year babalik tayo,” head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes Jr. said.
UST captain Ennajie Laure had 20 points while Cherry Ann Rondina and Carmela Tunay combined for 23 markers.
UP forced a deadlock in the middle of the second frame, 16-all, after being down by as much as six points. UP came back with a quick 8-3 run to arrive at set point. The Tigresses committed 11 unforced errors alone in the second set.
The Lady Maroons were trailing by only four points late in the opening canto, 20-16, until the Tigresses pulled the trigger with a 5-1 run capped by a kill from Cherry Ann Rondina to close the set.
This is the fourth straight year the Golden Tigresses missed the semifinals.
