Volleyball

EJ Laure bids UST goodbye, signs with Chery Tiggo for 2022 PVL season

With Laure’s decision to forego her final two years with the University, the five-foot-nine spiker is now training with Chery for her pro debut after her season 82 comeback last 2020.

Published

5 months ago

January 29, 2022

Charles Joseph Nicolas

Christine Annmarie Tapawan/TomasinoWeb

UST Golden Tigress EJ Laure officially joins Chery Tiggo for upcoming 2022 Premiere Volleyball League (PVL) season, marking the end of her eight-year stay in UST.

As the UAAP does not acknowledge the Games and Amusements Board’s special guest license, the season 77 Rookie of the Year will have to turn professional as she has officially signed with a PVL club.

With Laure’s decision to forego her final two years with the University, the five-foot-nine spiker is now training with Chery for her pro debut after her season 82 comeback last 2020 that only lasted for two games due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Laure would have still been eligible to play for both UAAP Seasons 84 and 85 as she will just turn 25 this July.

Chery’s team manager Ronwald Dimaculangan stated that the addition of Laure, Cza Carandang, and Roma Joy Doromal would be a huge advantage for the team in this upcoming open conference.

“It still depends but I think we will be ready. We have our core players still with the addition of new players. EJ Laure is also back,” he said.

The opening of the 2022 PVL Open Conference is set to begin on March 16, and will be held in a bubble set-up at the Aquamarine Sports Complex in Lipa, Batangas, Royale Tagaytay in Alfonso, Cavite, or a closed circuit setup in Metro Manila.

Charles Joseph Nicolas

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Nisperos-led Blue Eagles boots Golden Tigresses out of UAAP stepladder tournament

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.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 14, 2022

Ernest Martin Tuazon

Photo from UAAP Season 84 Media Team

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.

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.

Ernest Martin Tuazon

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UST fails to play spoiler as National U cruises to an outright Finals appearance

The Golden Tigresses will have to beat the fourth seed in a win-or-go-home situation to reach the semifinal against the second seed, the DLSU Lady Spikers, where they have to win twice to then reach the Finals against the NU Lady Bulldogs.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 9, 2022

Joie Frances Timbas

Photo by Corinne Vizconde/TomasinoWeb

The UST Golden Tigresses were swept by the untarnished NU Lady Bulldogs, 22-25, 27-29, 17-25, on the final day of the regular season of the UAAP Season 84 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Thursday, June 9, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Team Captain Eya Laure was on her usual business as she led the Tigresses’ attempt to hand out National U’s first and last loss in the regular season with 13 points. She was the lone player from España to score double digits.

The unblemished Bulldogs had four of their starters contributing double digits. Team Captain Princess Robles led her team’s offense with 13 points, while Michaela Belen and Alyssa Solomon had 12 apiece, and Sheena Toring with 11.

In the opening set, UST committed early service errors to give the National U the lead, but two consecutive blocks from Tin Ecalla cut the deficit to two points, 5-7. Despite the continuous errors from UST, NU had its fair share of errors also to make it a one-point game, 18-19.

The National U then responded with a late 5-0 rally to bring the ser at 18-23. UST showed grit as they sparked their own run at 4-0 making it a nail-biter at 22-23. Two consecutive attacks from National U ended UST’s run to ice the set at 22-25.

The second set started again with UST trailing by a small margin, 4-6. UST’s defense faltered, being unable to fend off powerful attacks and services from the National U as the deficit grew, 6-11. UST caught momentum to spark a 3-0 run at 9-11.

UST led for the first time in the game,18-14, courtesy of a 6-0 run. NU managed to catch up late at 24-24 which became the start of alternate deuces and set points from both teams but a Camille Lamina service ace and a Toring marker at the net ended the extension at 27-29.

Looking to extend the match in the third set, a demoralized Golden Tigresses trailed behind by a sizeable margin, 2-10. By the second technical timeout, UST allowed National U to nab their biggest lead of the match, 7-16. The third set started and ended differently compared to the previous grueling set as the UST suffered a blowout to lose the game at 17-25.

With UST being the last team to face the National U in the regular season, they were the last chance for the post-season to avoid a stepladder format.

UST capped off their campaign with a 9-5 finish in UAAP S84 and will face the fourth seed that is yet to be determined between the Ateneo Blue Eagles or Adamson Lady Falcons.

The schedule of the stepladder matches is yet to be announced.

Joie Frances Timbas

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Golden Tigresses dismantle UE to punch Final Four ticket

The Tigresses had three double-digit contributors led anew by Santo Tomas rookie Ypril Tapia with 13 points on 13 successful attacks, while MVP frontrunner Eya Laure and fellow middle blocker KC Galdones chipped in 12 and 11 markers a piece.

Published

3 weeks ago

June 7, 2022

Ernest Martin Tuazon

Photo from UAAP Season 84 Media Team

The UST Golden Tigresses secured the third slot to the Final Four as a balanced attack propelled them to a sweep over the UE Lady Red Warriors, 26-24, 25-18, 25-19, Tuesday morning, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Despite being plagued with 11 errors in the final set of play, the Tigresses ignited an 8-1 run to complete their sweep over the winless Lady Red Warriors, sealed by a Ysa Jimenez kill – her only point in the contest, 25-19

UST started off on the wrong foot as UE jumped to an early 2-5 advantage courtesy of three consecutive errors, added on by a kill and a block from UE’s Janeca Lana. The women in yellow and white were down for the most part of the first set and were in familiar territory as they trailed 23-24.

However, UST prevented UE’s set point as an attack from middle blocker Imee Hernandez and back-to-back errors from the Recto-based squad allowed their Espana counterparts to run away with the opening set, 26-24.

Down by a point after the second technical timeout, the Golden Tigresses zoomed to a 10-2 blast, as acting head coach Yani Fernadez’s substitution of Tin Ecalla paid dividends as the latter provided back-to-back aces for UST, and capped off by Mafe Galanza’s dump for the 2-0 set lead, 25-18.

UST was coached today by lead assistant Fernandez as head coach Emilio ‘Kung fu’ Reyes had prior commitments to attend to, as mentioned in the broadcast.

Laure and co. look to cap off their elimination run on a high note in a high-stakes match against the unblemished NU Lady Bulldogs.

A loss from UST would mean that NU automatically advances to the Finals and a stepladder format would be utilized

Should the Tigresses win, however, a traditional Final Four tournament would be played.