By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses swung into the win column of Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), beating the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors in straight sets, 25-17, 25-15 and 25-21, in opening women’s volleyball play yesterday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Absorbed a tough five-set loss in their season debut last Saturday, the España-based Tigresses made sure not to fall for a second straight time to begin their campaign, getting solid play from top-scorer Sisi Rondina throughout to improve to 1-1 while keeping the Lady Warriors winless at 0-2.

UST made its mission known early as Rondina towed her team to an 11-4 lead early in the contest.

The Lady Warriors tried to fight their way back but the Tigresses would not allow anything significant to happen en route to booking the opening frame.

The Tigresses picked up where they left off in the first set to start the second, going on a 5-1 run.

Rondina then raised the ante anew for UST with the team racing to a commanding 14-5 lead thereafter and left their opponents in the dust to take a 2-0 lead.

In the third set, UE competed on a better footing, even taking the lead midway into it before UST rallied back and claim a 16-14 lead by the second technical knockout.

From there the Tigresses were not to be stopped, outscoring the Lady Warriors, 9-7, the rest of the way to close out things.

Rondina led the Tigresses with 20 points, 19 coming off attacks. It was an explosive follow-up to her 28-point performance in their Season 80 debut last weekend where they bowed to the defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers in five sets.

Dimdim Pacres had eight points for UST while Cherry Francisco and Filipino-Italian Milena Alessandrini added seven and six points, respectively.

Mean Mendrez, meanwhile, paced the Lady Warriors with 10 points followed by Judith Abil with nine.

The loss was the ninth straight for UE dating back to last season.

“We really wanted to win after we lost in our first game. From my end, I just gave the best. This is volleyball and I love doing it,” said Rondina, who was named player of the game.

She was seconded by UST coach Kung Fu Reyes who said the game was a good bounce-back win for them and that they hope to build on it moving forward.

“We lost in a tough five-setter last time around but we were able to make up for it with a straight-set win and we are happy with that,” the UST coach said.

The two teams return on Sunday, Feb. 11, with UST taking on the Ateneo Lady Eagles and UE squaring off with the National University Lady Bulldogs.

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