No Rhea Dimaculangan, no problem.
After UST’s star player tweaked her ankle in the second set, the Lady Tigers clawed from a 0-1 hole en route to a 3-1 romp over the Ateneo Lady Spikers, backed by a boisterous crowd that lorded over The FilOil Flying V Arena on January 15.
Maruja Banaticla scored 15 points, while three other Lady Tigers scored 12 apiece to lead UST to a come-from-behind victory.
Coach Gorayeb and the blue crew took the first set in stride, outscoring the opposing squad 25-14 and imposing a 0-1 set lead. The Lady Spikers found their rhythm early, drawing major contributions from team captain Fille Cainglet and fellow senior Dzi Gervacio.
At some point in the second set, Dimaculangan fumbled for a possession and landed on the wrong foot. After a technical timeout, she was carried off to the locker room.
As play resumed, the black and gold played with more heart and vigor. Second-stringer Lauren Lantin took Dimaculangan’s place and soon enough, it was Ateneo fumbling for defensive positioning. Ateneo would never get it together as UST boasted their offensive options, with Tricia Lastimosa, Judy Caballejo, Maika Ortiz and Banaticla leading the offensive blitz.
Ateneo would breathe down UST’s necks towards the end of sets two and four, but their defense was already suspect. The team had troubles receiving the ball while UST had seemingly figured out Ateneo’s combination plays.
Cainglet dialled 18 out of her 19 total points from spikes. She was the only Lady Spiker to reach double figures.
The Lady Spikers next face UE on January 21, 3:00 PM at the FilOil Flying V Arena.
SET SCORES: 25-14, 25-21, 25-19, 25-23
