UST advances; NU next

Golden Tigresses sweep Lady Falcons

Game on Saturday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
3 p.m. – NU vs UST (Women’s Stepladder Final Four)

FOURTH-SEEDED University of Santo Tomas (UST) flaunted its wealth of experience with a 25-16, 25-18, 25-19 statement victory to eliminate presumptive MVP Shaina Nitura and the third-ranked Adamson University (AdU) in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball stepladder Final Four on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Up against the vastly improved by still youthful AdU Lady Falcons led by super sophomore Ms. Nitura, the UST Golden Tigresses broke free in the homestretch of each of the sets behind steely resolve and thus climbed the next ladder against no less than the back-to-back reigning champion National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs.

With only a two-day breather, it will be Santo Tomas’ third straight knockout set-to at the same venue after prevailing over Far Eastern University (FEU) in a playoff for the last semifinal ticket last weekend in a bid to extend its Cinderella run all the way to the “Last Dance.”

Winner gets a shot at unbeaten De La Salle University, which earned a free passage to the top of the ladder with a 14-0 sweep of the eliminations, in the best-of-three finals next week.

In the men’s division, five-peat champion NU and top-ranked Far Eastern University took contrasting wins to arrange a finals rematch. Buds Buddin fired 19 points as the NU Bulldogs advanced to their 11^th straight finals stint with a 25-21, 30-28, 25-19 sweep of the second-seeded Santo Tomas while the FEU Tamaraws hacked out a gutsy 25-21, 30-28, 25-19 win over the fourth-ranked Ateneo de Manila University behind Dryx Saavedra (14), Lirick Mendoza (13) and Amet Bituin (12).

But the night belonged to the Golden Tigresses, who proved that experience is still one of the best weapons in the playoffs after being swept by the Lady Falcons in the elims.

Santo Tomas folded to Adamson in both rounds, 25-27 20-25, 24-26 and 25-27, 22-25, 12-25, before fliping the script when it mattered most on a pair of staggering late runs in the last two sets. After a dominant 25-16 opener, a 5-0 blast to break away from a 13-all score gave Santo Tomas the second set then another 6-1 blitz to overturn a 12-13 deficit in the third iced the deal.

Angge Poyos delivered 17 points including the game-clinching kill against two Lady Falcons on the left wing to go along eight digs and seven receptions as Santo Tomas showed Adamson the exit doors in only 82 minutes.

Regina Jurado and Jonna Perdido threw in 13 and 10 points, respectively, to backstop Ms. Poyos, the leading MVP contender in the first round before Ms. Nitura seized it at the finish line, as Avril Bron proved instrumental down the stretch, scoring seven plus the back-to-back points to give Santo Tomas a 24-19 match point.

Cassie Carballo dished out 10 sets while Detdet Pepito provided 16 digs, nine receptions and four sets but it was Santo Tomas’ defense that spelled the difference, limiting the once potent Adamson offense to a dismal eight-percent attacking efficiency.

Ms. Nitura alone struggled big time with only 13 points on 12-of-46 spiking mark while Nigerian ace Frances Mordi, who finished just second behind her in the MVP race, had 11 points on 10-of-41 attack accuracy.

No other player finished in double digits for the stunned young guns of coach JP Yude after showing massive potential this season as one of the only two squads aside from NU to force the undefeated La Salle to five sets. — John Bryan Ulanday