PASAY—UP ended off a sluggish start to win the next three sets against UST at the Mall of Asia Arena to end its UAAP Season 78 women's volleyball regular season on a bright note on Sunday in a pulsating four-setter, 17-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-20.
Freshman Isa Molde pulled a superb performance with 23 points on 16 spikes, 3 blocks and 4 service aces as the Fighting Lady Maroons ended the season at 8-6 and they are assured of at least a playoff for the last Final Four slot, pending the result of the final match of the season between NU and La Salle on Wednesday. She was backed up by Marian Buitre's 12 and seniors Kathy Bersola and Nicole Tiamzon who had 10 markers each.
Sophomore Ennajie Laure carried the Golden Tigresses once again with 20 markers but received little help from her teammates, with only two other spikers in double digits, including 11 from fellow sophomore Cherry Rondina, as Kungfu Reyes' coaching debut finished with a sour note at 5-9 for their third consecutive losing season.
Carmela Tunay capped off her college career with 12 markers as they missed the postseason for the fourth consecutive time. Joining her in playing their final UAAP game were middle blocker
Jessey De Leon and libero Ingrid Reyes, with the former brought in 8 points in a losing effort
Jessey De Leon and libero Ingrid Reyes, with the former brought in 8 points in a losing effort
The ladies from Diliman were flat footed during the first set that UST took advantage of, creating seven point leads early in the set. Despite being eliminated this season, the Golden Trigreses played inspired volleyball in hopes of giving their three graduating players a graceful exit. UST’s floor defense was on point as UP had a difficult time scoring off kills.
Alex Cabanos who also started the game orchestrated the team well by distributing to various spikers as UST sealed the first set on a Rondina spike into UP's zone 5, 25-17.
UST was off to a hot start again during the second set that frustrated UP’s head coach Jerry Yee who challenged his troops to play better volleyball for them to turn the game around. UP then went on a scoring rampage to eventually tie the game at 16 and broke away with 3 straight points after that as the season's hosts evened the match on a Molde attack.
The Golden Tigresses waxed hot early in the third, as Laure's spike put them ahead 15-8 early. But that was all they wrote as Molde and co, came up with an amazing 14-3 reply, including 10 unanswered points to overturn a 12-18 deficit into a 22-18 lead en route to snatch the set, finishing off with a block on Laure.
UP came with guns blazing in the fourth, stifling any threat of the Tigresses to go seven points ahead midway to the set, 19-12
Tiamzon then sent the Lady Maroons on match point off a block, but the graduating Tunay scored off a kill to cut down the lead to four, but Molde delivered the winning spike to put in a good position on making a final four comeback after 12 years, 20-25.
[Kevin Estrada contributed to this report]
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