SOPHOMORE Milena Alessandrini went down early with an injury and the UST Golden Tigresses surrendered to the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 25-19, 20-25, 19-25, 25-27, in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Saturday.
Alessandrini was stretchered out of the court late in the second set after hurting her left knee from a bad fall. She is scheduled to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) later at the UST Hospital.
Down 21-24 in the fourth set, the Tigresses went for a 4-0 spurt, capped by Eya Laure’s off-the-block hit to take the lead, 25-24, before Laure committed an attack error to give FEU the win.
“Malaking learning experience sa amin ‘to lalo na sa mga rookies, pero ‘di dapat kami mag-dwell, lalo na sa injury [ni Milena]. Dapat mag-move forward kami at mag-step up,” Tigresses head coach Emilio “Kung Fu” Reyes Jr. said.
Lady Tamaraw Lycha Ebon’s crosscourt kill in the third canto allowed FEU to take a commanding 2-1 set advantage, 25-19.
With UST trailing 16-13, FEU ignited a furious 12-4 rally, capped by Celine Domingo’s service to tie the game at one-set apiece.
The Tigresses unleashed an 11-2 bomb late in the first set as an error from the Lady Tamaraws gave UST the upper hand early.
FEU dominated the blocking department with 16 points, while the Tigresses only had four.
Domingo led the Tamaraws with with 17 points, while Guino-o added 14 markers.
Laure paced UST with 20 points, while team captain Sisi Rondina had 16 markers.
The Tigresses tied the Tamaraws at third place with similar 2-2 win-loss slates.
UST will next face three-time defending champion De La Salle University Lady Spikers on March 6, Wednesday, 4 p.m., at the Arena in San Juan.
