Once seen as a title favorite heading into the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament, host school University of Santo Tomas stumbled out of the gate with a 2-3 start — their worst five-game opening since Season 80.
Despite retaining a strong core of team captain Detdet Pepito, Jonna Perdido, Angge Poyos, and Cassie Carballo — complemented by key additions in Avril Bron, Lianne Penuliar, and Julia Balingit — some might wonder if it’s time for the Golden Tigresses’ faithful to panic.
Not at all, according to assistant coach Yani Fernandez. Instead, he called for patience as UST navigates a highly competitive UAAP women’s volleyball landscape alongside defending champion National University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, and Adamson University.
“Ang sa akin lang sa community, maging isang malaking — yung sumusuporta talaga sa team. Wala kasing mangyayari talaga kung ganyan ang gagawin,” Fernandez said Wednesday evening at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“Mas nakaka-down sa team yung ganyang klase ng comments at bato sa team namin. Basta kami, in our end, ilalaban namin yung UAAP hanggang huli.”
With UST implementing a retooled system under the returning Shaq delos Santos as head coach, the struggles were evident in the Golden Tigresses’ early-season performance.
However, Fernandez sees these challenges as part of the program’s journey toward reclaiming UAAP women’s volleyball glory.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Well, ang sa akin lang, siyempre, hindi rin biro ang nagpalit ng head coach. Again, new system, new ideas. But again, we must respect the decision of the management and the admins of our university na ‘yon nga, kailangan talagang unti-untiin. Hindi siya madali,” Fernandez explained.
“Again, kahit saang profession or event ng sport, hindi one click na maa-adapt yung sistema. Little by little.”
UST’s woes were compounded by a shocking straight-sets loss to Adamson University last Saturday, but Fernandez quickly pointed out that such challenging moments are what truly test a program’s championship mettle.
That championship poise returned against the UP Fighting Maroons today, with the Golden Tigresses rising to the occasion. Led by Angge Poyos and Reg Jurado, UST evened its record at 3-3, creating a three-way tie for fourth place.
For Fernandez, seeing the Golden Tigresses display bravery and poise — the same mindset that propelled the program to a silver-medal finish in Season 86 — is a reassuring sign that the team is slowly returning to its peak form.
“Well, yung tapang, bumalik na, pero siyempre, hindi pa dapat kami magpakampante doon sa performance nila. Still, merong kailangan trabahuin. And talagang these past few days, especially after nung Adamson game, maraming usapan talaga,” Fernandez said.
“Talk with the coaches, talk with the players, even with the admin and management of UST, na yung supporta talaga ng bawat isa… Pinakita at pinaramdam na kahit ano mangyari, lalaban kami para sa UST,” he went on.
“Pero at the end of the day, yung support ng UST para kay Coach Shaq, nandoon. Kahit kami. Kahit si Coach Kungfu (Reyes), makikita niyo na nandiyan sa sidelines. Talagang suportado kay Coach Shaq at kahit si Father Rodel (Cansancio).”
UST looks to sustain its momentum when it faces FEU this Saturday at the same Pasay arena.
#WATCH: HINDI SIYA MADALI 🐯
Assistant coach Yani Fernandez is hoping for patience from the UST community as Shaq delos Santos is still implementing his system to the Golden Tigresses 🏐#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/dT85K1HOwx
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times #UAAPSeason88 pic.twitter.com/phjiV2m8E1
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 11, 2026
