University of Santo Tomas secured second seed and the bye into the UAAP Season 86 High School Girls’ Volleyball Stepladder Semifinals following a 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 17-25, 15-11 victory over defending champion National University Nazareth School on Wednesday at the Adamson Gym in Ermita, Manila.
The Junior Golden Tigresses will await the winner of the knockout match between their victims Lady Bullpups and the Far Eastern University-Diliman Lady Baby Tamaraws on Friday at 1 p.m. at the FilOil EcoOIl Center.
The semifinals will be a knockout game as well.
Down 4-5 in the fifth set, Margaret Altea continued to be UST’s biggest asset as the captain pummeled NUNS’s reception to turn it around for her side and took a 9-5 advantage.
From there, the Season 85 bronze medalists never looked back and settled for an exchange of points for the finish.
“Well, ‘yung unang ano namin is ‘tong opportunity na playoff. Actually, 2-3-4 tied, nagkatalo sa (sets) ratio. Sabi ko lang sa girls, another opportunity kung ilalaban din natin. Madali lang namang bitawan eh. Either way, pareho lang naman kami ni NU ng gustong mangyari,” said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes.
Fittingly, it was Altea who ended the match for the Junior Golden Tigresses with a block on Celine Marsh, making amends for the heartbreak of the most recent defeat to the same team last Saturday, 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 16-18.
“Isa diyan sa nagbago siguro is ‘yung eagerness nila. Naramdaman nila ‘yung isang panalo na lang magna-number 2 na kami eh pero nawala. Mas nasaktan sila do’n kasi halos naka-uwang na sa ‘min,” Reyes added.
The Lady Bullpups started on the right foot, leading 11-8 at the onset of the match, but the Junior Golden Tigresses saw their pins Kim Rubin and Abigail Sinson provided the spark for a comeback.
Two errors from UST, though, and a service ace from Bienne Bansil handed the defending champions the first set.
Altea then showed up in the following sets, particularly in the second and third, when she unleashed her lethal serves, making it difficult for the NUNS receivers to put up a decent pass to its setter Karyll Miranda.
Lady Bullpups Marsh and Denesse Daylisan made it count on the counterattack, but the Junior Golden Tigresses took the 2-1 lead with middle blocker Iya Penuliar doing her business at the net for the España-based side.
Marsh and the rest of the NU squad had other plans in the fourth, posting a huge 20-14 advantage courtesy of the Season 85 Second Best Outside Hitter’s kills, ably supported by substitute opposite hitter Harlyn Serneche.
It forced a fifth and final set, where Altea and UST eventually woke up to snatch the match and the semifinal bye the victory included.
