Battered but unbowed, University of Santo Tomas refuses to let injuries derail their redemption bid in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Despite losing key hitters Xyza Gula (displaced tailbone fracture) and Jonna Perdido (torn left ACL), UST has clawed its way back from a rocky start, stringing together three straight wins to prove that they are still very much in the championship conversation.
The Golden Tigresses immediately felt the absence of Perdido and Gula, as they stumbled in their season opener against the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on February 15.
However, UST is steadily regaining the form that propelled them to a silver-medal finish in Season 86, racking up three straight wins to claim solo second place with a 3-1 record.
Following a four-set victory over an 11-strong University of the East Lady Warriors squad, the Golden Tigresses continued their resurgence with back-to-back wins.
First came a five-set thriller against archrival De La Salle University Lady Spikers. Then a four-set triumph over Shaina Nitura and the Adamson University Lady Falcons on Saturday afternoon at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Despite their winning streak, team captain Detdet Pepito admitted that UST still has a long way to go — and must double their efforts — to solidify their status as a title contender alongside defending champion National University, Adamson, and FEU.
Even Pepito, a two-time UAAP Best Libero, acknowledged the need to refine her own game as she aims to help steer UST back to the championship for the first time since Season 69 in 2006.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Malayo pa talaga, pero sinasabi ko nga sa kanila na tiyagain natin kasi nakakakuha kami ng panalo, pero hindi pa rin kami satisfied sa ginagawa namin. Kailangan doblehin lang namin yung tiyaga namin,” said Pepito, who tallied 13 excellent digs and nine excellent receptions.
“Especially sa training kasi kulang din sa pahinga kasi sunod-sunod yung games, kaya sabi ni Reg (Jurado), ‘mind over matter’ na lang kasi lahat kami nakaka-experience niyan for sure. Pusuan na lang talaga ang labanan.”
After an opening-day loss to FEU, Season 86 Rookie of the Year Angge Poyos credited the team’s bond and chemistry as key factors in UST’s swift turnaround and three consecutive wins.
At the heart of this camaraderie is Poyos, who, beyond ranking second in league scoring with 83 points in four games, has embraced a bigger leadership role alongside co-captains Pepito and Reg Jurado.
“Yung pagiging matibay talaga namin. Despite na natalo kami noong first game, buo pa rin kami na ‘ayon nga, sinisimulan ulit namin sa training, and yung connection namin sa isa’t isa, yun yung pinaka-importante. Credit din sa guidance ng coaches, ‘yon din yung isa rin sa mga nagpalakas sa amin,” shared Poyos, who delivered 21 points on 20 attacks and one block, along with eight excellent receptions, against Adamson.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
For assistant coach Yani Fernandez, the opening-day loss to FEU turned out to be a blessing in disguise, serving as a much-needed wake-up call for the Golden Tigresses in their redemption campaign.
With that setback prompting long meetings and heart-to-heart discussions within the team, Fernandez feels pleased to see those late-night talks slowly paying off.
“Yung first game namin, I think, siyempre wake-up call sa amin yun, especially sa mga bata, and then ginawa rin namin siyang challenge and motivation at the same time kasi alam naman namin na kaya nila,” said Fernandez, who took over postgame press conference duties in place of head coach Kungfu Reyes.
Reyes had to attend Chery Tiggo’s qualifying round match against Choco Mucho at 6:30 PM at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
“Yun nga, may mga meetings, merong mga usap, so I think nagta-transpire naman kahit papaano yung usap na yun sa gawa kasi nakikita naman namin sa ensayo na unti-unting bumabalik. Hindi pa 100 percent, pero nakikita namin na may progress”
#WATCH: Detdet Pepito, Reg Jurado, and Pia Abbu remain hungry for more as UST pushes for consistency despite their solid 3-1 start in the #UAAPSeason87 Women's Volleyball Tournament 🏐
📹 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/v4oQs7T3in
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 1, 2025
