The UST Golden Tigresses bow out of the UAAP Season 84 women’s volleyball stepladder playoffs after enduring a sweep at the hands of the reigning champion Ateneo Blue Eagles, 23-25, 23-25, 20-25, Tuesday evening, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
MVP frontrunner Eya Laure willed UST to an early lead in the third set, 10-7, where the 23-year-old open hitter scored five of her overall 15 markers in the match. However, the blue and white clawed back with a 9-3 run of their own to take a three-point lead at the second technical timeout, 13-16, sparked by back-to-back aces from Ateneo sophomore sensation Faith Nisperos.
Down 17-22, middle blocker Imee Hernandez and rookie spiker Ypril Tapia combined for three markers and two Ateneo errors. All things looked like a UST comeback, but Nisperos sealed the match with a fast kill, 20-25, to set a date with the DLSU Lady Archers on Thursday.
The second salvo was UST’s set for the taking as they zoomed to a four-point advantage, 18-14, from contributions courtesy of Hernandez, holdover Camille Victoria, and a kill by Laure.
Alike the third set, Ateneo ignited a 6-0 run to take the momentum away from the women of Espana as they stole the second set capped off by a block from bench sparkplug Jeycel Delos Reyes, 23-25.
The first frame was no different as it saw UST hold a one-point lead off a Laure kill on a Erika Raagas block, 23-22, but the women from Katipunan fought back with a 3-0 run to steal anew the opening set, 23-25.
Eya Laure flirted with a triple-double as she ended her MVP tour with 15 markers, 17 excellent receptions, and eight excellent digs. Imee Hernandez and Ysa Jimenez lifted UST’s ‘strong support system’ as they posted 11 and ninepoints respectively.
Ateneo was led by Nisperos’ 23 points and eight excellent receptions, while veterans Vanie Gandler and Raagas chipped in 15 and 9 markers a piece.
The UST Golden Tigresses ended their UAAP Season 84 campaign one place shy of a podium finish as they secured a top 4 finish, two places lower than their previous Cinderella run in Season 81 before the pandemic struck where they also lost to none other than their tormentors today in Ateneo.
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