UST SHRUGS OFF GAME 2 LOSS, BRINGS THE BEACH VOLLEY TITLE BACK TO ESPANA
By Ardyn Gonzales
9 October 2016
After losing the UAAP beach volley crown in Season 78, the Lady Tigresses brought the championship back to España via a comeback victory in winner-take-all Game 3 in the UAAP Beach Volleyball Finals against the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 21-17, 21-10, today at MOA Sands by the Bay in Pasay City.
UST, then bannered by the duo of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera, failed to defend their title last season with only a fifth-place finish.
Now locked and loaded this season with the return of former MVP Rondina alongside her new partner, Jem Gutierrez, UST dominated and swept the elimination round to book outright Finals berth.
The Espana-based squad continued its supremacy in the Finals with a 21-17, 21-9 Game 1 win over the tandem of FEU’s Bernadette Pons and Kyla Atienza yesterday.
But with FEU now on the brink of losing again in the Finals for second straight year, a more determined Lady Tams faced UST in Game 2 and handed them their first loss this season with a come-from-behind 17-21, 21-17, 15-13 win to force a decider.
It looked like UST was already pulling away after tallying a 5-2 lead in the third set. However, the Lady Tams, after calling for a timeout, answered and started a 5-0 run to snatch the lead at 7-5. FEU just held onto their lead to rally past the Lady Tigresses to get the win in three sets.
UST came back stronger in Game 3 with Rondina and Gutierrez displaying their usual deadly form to answer every move from the Lady Tams.
Gutierrez, who was being targeted by FEU in Game 2 in serves and attacks, rose to the occasion and delivered crucial points. While Rondina just played spectacularly and even delivered the final blow with a service ace en route to championship.
Cherry Rondina was also awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
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