University of Santo Tomas moved closer to an undefeated run and the championship title in the 2024 V-League Collegiate Challenge women’s division after sweeping rival Far Eastern University 25-22, 25-18, 25-14 in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals series on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
Fueled by back-to-back kills from Ange Poyos, the Golden Tigresses surged to a commanding 19-9 lead in the third set, overcoming a strong effort from Chenie Tagaod, who carried the Lady Tamaraws.
UST ultimately sealed the match with a block from Margaret Altea and a final error from FEU, concluding the game in just an hour and a half.
With the victory, UST now aims to clinch the championship in Game 2 on Wednesday at 5:00 PM in the same Pasig venue.
“Nung first set kasi, down by three or… Basta malaki lamang nila, kaya matagal kaming naka-recover. Kaya ang inemphasize namin sa kanila is huwag kaming titigil hangga’t hindi pumipito ‘yung ref,” said long-time Golden Tigresses head coach Kungfu Reyes.
Reyes called an early timeout in the opening set as his team fell behind by four straight points against the Lady Tamaraws.
However, Cassie Carballo and the rest of the top-ranked Tigresses rallied back, ultimately winning the tightly contested opening set, despite challenges from Jazlyn Ellarina and Friday Bakanke at the net.
Building on that momentum, UST continued to dominate in the subsequent sets, with Carballo leading the squad’s offense, which primarily relied on solid defense and quick transitions.
Reyes noted, “Talagang ine-ensayo namin ‘yang ganyang skills. Yung defense pattern namin, nako-compensate namin sa atake. Hindi kami ganoong katangkaran pero marunong naman kaming pumalo. Well-compensated na ‘pag na-rebound namin ‘yung bola, for sure aatakihin namin ‘yung last action namin.”
Carballo finished with 15 excellent sets to guide UST to victory, while Regine Jurado contributed 11 points, including a crucial kill in the final set.
Poyos led all scorers with 15 points, all from attacks, and Jonna Perdido also reached double digits with 10 points.
The Lady Tamaraws, looking to bounce back on Wednesday, saw middle blocker Jean Asis score nine points and Gerzel Petallo contribute eight points.
However, Petallo suffered cramps in the middle of the second set, and captain and setter Tin Ubaldo fell awkwardly and had to be wheeled out just as the match was nearing its conclusion.
