Coming into Season 77 as relative unknowns, UST’s Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera’s dominant run at the Beach Volleyball title culminated with a 21-15, 21-11 routing of the DLSU Lady Spikers at the UE Caloocan sand court.
The Thomasians started the match off dazed by DLSU’s ruckus crowd, allowing the Lady Spikers to get an early 4-10 jump. The Tigresses would find their footing and rally back and close the set on an emphatic 17-5 run.
The second set would have injured reserve player, Ara Galang come in for La Salle’s Cyd Demecillo. Galang’s entry would just however accelerate UST’s road to victory as the Thomasinas successfully targeted Galang, who was still visibly hampered by hey injured left wrist. Though Galang shone on several attacks, DLSU’s leading scorer in indoor volleyball committed multiple setting errors, allowing UST to easily bag the championship set.
Cherry Rondina’s fiery play all season would net her the MVP plum while her fellow Cebuana, Rica Rivera would bag the Rookie of the Year award. NU’s Joseph Tipay would win the Men’s MVP trophy while UE’s Edward Camposano took home the RoY trophy.
Rondina and Rivera successfully vindicated UST of last year’s first runner-up finish. UST won back-to-back titles in the UAAP in Season 74 and 75 behind former MVP Maruja Banaticla.
