By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses wrapped up the first round of the UAAP Season 86 Women’s Volleyball Tournament with an emphatic 7-0 sweep on March 16, 2024, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
UST pulled off the majestic feat after prevailing over the tough Adamson University Lady Falcons, 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 28-26, to march into the second round of the UAAP Season 86 preliminaries oozing with confidence.
Unlike their previous outings where they pulled off wins in sweeping fashion, the Golden Tigresses had to tighten their screws against Adamson as they survived a daunting attack that came from unorthodox attacking angles and unexpected floor defense mastery.
After a commanding victory in the first set, the Golden Tigresses saw themselves in deep trouble when the Lady Falcons regained their footing in the following frame, equalizing the contest after showcasing their disciplined defense to pick up UST’s cross-court kills.
Just when the Lady Falcons thought they already figured out UST’s on-court adjustments, the Golden Tigresses showed off their new brand of attack, catching Adamson off-guard with their tweaked sets.
Instead of sticking to their usual cross-court attacks, the Golden Tigresses gave the Lady Falcons different looks by mixing their backline and quick 1-2 plays in the following sequences.
However, Adamson came storming back in the fourth and final set after putting UST through the grinder when they reached the tiebreaker.
Despite the avalanche UST hosted, Adamson was able to tie the game at 25-all but the duo of Angge Poyos and Jonna Perdido did wonders for the Golden Tigresses, scoring the clutch spikes to go home with the crucial win.
Poyos remained consistent with her attacks and top-scored the Golden Tigresses with 18 points built from 20 successful attacks.
Meanwhile, Perdido added 16 markers derived from 17 successful attacks alongside eight excellent receptions while Regina Jurado added 12 points.
