UST Tigresses celebrate their championship in the 2024 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge. They beat the FEU Lady Tamaraws in three games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — University of Santo Tomas finally won a major volleyball championship after 14 years.
The Golden Tigresses outlasted the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21, 25-14, in a winner-take-all Game 3 to capture the 2024 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge crown on Friday at Philsports Arena.
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After their premature celebration was spoiled in Game 2 as Cassie Carballo’s supposed title-clinching dump was deemed a net fault and eventually lost the match, the Tigresses made sure to get the job done this time, winning their first championship since the 2010 V-League and UAAP Season 72.
READ: UST Tigresses and the ghosts of Game 2s at Mall of Asia Arena
It took 14 years for UST to win a major league since Shaq Delos Santos, now an assistant coach to head tactician KungFu Reyes, steered the Aiza Maizo and Rhea Dimaculangan-led team to a pair of titles in the Sports Vision-organized league and the UAAP in the same year.
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Tournament MVP Angge Poyos, who missed Game 2 due to illness, settled her unfinished for the Tigresses, leading the way to overcome a first-set loss before getting the better of the Lady Tamaraws in the last three sets.
UST Tigresses celebrate their championship in the 2024 V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge. They beat the FEU Lady Tamaraws in three games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
UST swept the opener of the best-of-three title series but absorbed its first loss in 10 games in Game 2 as the TIgresses’ premature celebration was spoiled by the Lady Tams, who equalized with a 25-22. 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 17-15 win.
The España-based spikers overcame a tough challenge in the second and third sets as they needed to erase a 13-17 deficit behind Poyos’ scoring prowess to tie the game to one set apiece after Cassie Carballo’s set-clinching ace.
READ: UST stars Angge Poyos, Gboy De Vega named V-League MVPs
Poyos and the Tigresses carried the momentum in the third to take a 2-1 advantage and pulled away in the fourth, dominating with a 7-2 start and never looking back with a 17-6 spread care of the V-League MVP to complete a masterful preseason campaign.
The Lady Tamaraws settled for silver for the second straight year, following a runner-up finish last season, losing to College of Saint Benilde in the finals.
FEU overcame a 20-22 deficit from Poyos’ three consecutive points in the first as substitutes Lovely Lopez and Alyzza Devosora tied the game to 23-all. Jonna Perdido brought UST at set point but Gerz Petallo saved a point.
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Faida Bakanke nailed a clutch block on Perdido to take the advantage before the latter’s attack went off the mark, surrendering the opening set to the Lady Tams, who couldn’t sustain the momentum.
