By NIKOLE JAVIER
University of Santo Tomas leaned on rookie Angge Poyos to turn back Far Eastern University, 22-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-7, for its fourth straight win in the first round of the UAAP Season 96 women’s volleyball tournament on Sunday, March 5, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Golden Tigresses fought to keep every single set closely contested and completed a reserve sweep to stay as the only unbeaten team in four games and keep the solo lead.
Rookie Poyos led all scorers in the extended affair with 25 points highlighted by 21 attacks.
While Poyos top scorer for the rest of the team, UST also leaned on its reliable bench reinforcement Xyxa Gula, who finished with 13 markers of her own.
Already down two sets, the España squad found itself also trailing 16-12 in the third set where it went uncorked a 6-2 run to lock the scored at 19-all.
Both squads engaged in a nip-and-tuck affair with UST eventually coming out on top revive its hopes of remaining unscathed in the standings.
From then on, everything simply went the Golden Tigresses’ way as they jumped to a telling 10-3 advantage in the first to 15 closing chapter.
FEU, coming off a previous five-set win over the University of the East Lady Warriors last week, couldn’t bring in the same composure down the stretch against UST and dropped another match.
Jean Asia and Chen Tagaod paced the Lady Warriors with 15 points each in the losing effort as they picked up an even 2-2 slate in the standings.
