UAAP: Lady Tamaraws sweep UST to solidify number four position

The FEU Lady Tamaraws swept the UST Golden Tigresses in three sets, 26-24 25-18 25-18 on Sunday at the Fil Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

With the win, the Lady Tamaraws solidified their position in the fourth spot with a 6-5 record in the standings. The Tigresses on the other hand continued their 'win one, lose one' approach to the second round, putting them at 4-6.

The Tigresses had an explosive start to the first set with a score of 5-1, due to the Lady Tamaraws’ reception struggles. Pam Lastimosa managed to contribute to the scoring load of UST with her patented cross-court hitters and a service ace.

It didn't last though, as the Lady Tamaraws inched closer at 10-8, care of Mary Palma’s cerebral tip to the open zone. Unfortunately for FEU, the Tigresses had Carmela Tunay attacking through the blockers and Marivic Meneses’ intimidating presence in the front-row. UST responded quickly to the Lady Tamaraw’s spikes when Jem Gutierrez’s kill forced FEU to call for time as UST garnered the 13-8 advantage. The Tigresses then extended their lead to as much as six, 16-10.

Unfortunately for the Golden Tigresses, FEU’s resiliency kept them in the game. The Lady Tamaraws went on a 12-4 scoring run courtesy of Bernadette Pons' off-speed kills, a rotational error from UST, and Mary Palma's craftiness in scoring off blocks and tips. With the lead turned over to the Tams at 22-20, UST retaliated with Gutierrez donning the front-row attacking duties. The set was deadlocked at 22-all before FEU’s Samantha Dawson propelled the Lady Tamaraws to a two-point cushion at 24-22.

UST answered back with Gutierrez and Jessey De Leon tallying two straight points for the Tigresses to forge another tie at 24-all. However, FEU retaliated to capture the first set, 26-24, with two straight points from a Samantha Dawson spike that ricocheted to the stands and a Palma service ace.

The second set remained a back-and-forth affair between the two squads. UST however struggled to capture the lead against the Lady Tamaraws as they were plagued by unforced errors, none heavier than their second rotational infraction. Pons and Marie Basas scored efficiently and effectively with drop shots and off-speed killers to give the Lady Tamaraws a 15-11 advantage.

However, veteran Tigress Carmela Tunay chipped in with a variation of deceptive tips of her own and a display of sheer power on her attacks. UST came within a point at 16-15 but Geneveve Casugod’s effectiveness on defense prevented the Tigresses from gaining the lead against her FEU team. The Tigresses at a point lined up three consecutive attacks that sailed outside to drop them to a four-point deficit, 22-18. FEU then took care of business in the second set with their wall-like blocking as they deflated the Tigresses, 25-18.

The Lady Tamaraws carried the momentum into the third set, as they stacked up a 7-2 advantage due to a scrambling UST defense. The athletic duo of Pons and Basas contributed to the steady pace of the Lady Tamaraws, and in addition, Casugod maintained the efficiency in the front row as FEU easily boosted ahead to 19-11. Despite the Lady Tigresses’ efforts to bounce back, the Lady Tamaraws built enough of a cushion for them to secure the match. Glyssa Torres delivered the winning cross-court hit at 25-18.

Bernadette Pons finished with 12 points and scored from 11 attacks and a service ace.  FEU will face the Adamson Lady Falcons who are currently trailing them with a 5-6 win-loss record on Wednesday, 4PM. - BR, GMA News