University of the Philippines snapped out of a long 17-game slump to finally enter the win column of the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Volleyball Tournament in its seventh try, clipping University of the East, 25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum on Sunday evening.
The last time the Fighting Maroons won was back on March 5, 2023 against, coincidentally, the Lady Warriors, a 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-20 victory. They proceeded to lose their final 11 matches in Season 85 and their first six games this year.
The Fighting Maroons forced a tie with the Lady Warriors at seventh to eighth spots at 1-6 but held the tiebreaker due to the ‘win over the other’ rule.
“I’d like to thank my players for trusting the system and the process and we know it’s really hard to win right now in the UAAP, napakataas ng level ng UAAP but they did not stop working hard,” said UP head coach Oliver Almadro, who offered this victory to Ms. Mona Adviento (UP sports psychologist) and Niña Ytang’s mother.
Ytang missed a second straight match, but Pling Baclay stepped up in her place as the rookie out of NCF logged a career-high seven blocks.
Casiey Dongallo woke up in the third set while Kayce Balingit also provided crucial points as the Lady Warriors extended the match, 25-20.
However, Pling Baclay, Steph Bustrillo, and Joan Monares lifted the Fighting Maroons in the fourth to finish the game in one hour and 52 minutes.
“Sa game ngayon una pa lang kita na agad sa team namin na gustong gusto namin manalo talaga, na gusto namin i-end yung first round ng may panalo going to second round,” said Bustrillo, who poured a team-high 24 points on 22 attacks and two aces including the match-clinching service.
Monares and Irah Jaboneta had 12 points each, while Nica Celis and Baclay got 10 apiece.
Dongallo delivered 26 points in the defeat on 23 spikes, two blocks, and an ace, while Balingit added 14.
