UAAP: Angge Poyos, Reg Jurado take charge as UST overcomes UE for 1st win

UST’s Angge Poyos in action against UE in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament. Photo from UAAP Media.

MANILA (UPDATED) — University of Santo Tomas overcame a tough University of the East side to tally its first win in the UAAP Season 87 women's volleyball tournament.

The Golden Tigresses tallied a 28-26, 22-25, 25-23, 25-14 triumph over the Lady Warriors during their Saturday afternoon faceoff at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City to improve to 1-1.

Angge Poyos starred for UST with 21 points on 14 attacks, four blocks, and three aces while also tallying six digs and two receptions, and Reg Jurado also shone with 22 markers on 18 attacks, two blocks, and two aces on top of eight digs.

"After nung talo namin sa FEU, talagang tinrabaho namin sa training," said Poyos, whose squad lost to Far Eastern University last week. "Nung nakaraang week, talagang nag train kami. Thankful kami kasi ganto yung resulta, nawala yung composure namin pero thankful kasi naka balik kami."

After both squads split the first two frames, UST fended off UE in the second, and this momentum allowed the Kungfu Reyes-coached squad to open the fourth with a 10-3 start.

The Lady Warriors answered with a seven-to-one charge to get as close as one, 11-10, but the Tigresses retaliated with their own run for a 23-14 advantage following two straight hits by Poyos as well as a rotation error by UE before they eventually sealed the victory.

UST deputy Yani Fernandez commended the efforts of their players, but he emphasized how they must still work on cleaning up their errors especially since they will be facing De La Salle University on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena. 

"Well, a win is a win naman, pero nakita namin yung mga lapses pa rin, so we will work na matanggal yung lapses na yun," explained Fernandez, whose team committed 29 errors to UE's 22.

"Again, yung communication, connection agad. Yun ang naging problema namin nung natalo kami. Siyempre, tinitignan din namin itong game na ito, maging preparation sa La Salle na game."

"Maraming kapses na kailangan i-polish para sa Wednesday, makaporma rin kami sa La Salle. Hopefully, meron kaming two days na training, mag-rest muna sila, then tignan natin kung magpe-perform sila sa Wednesday," he continued. 

On the other hand, UE, which fell to 0-2, was paced by KC Cepada's 20 points on 16 attacks and four aces. She also contributed eight digs and six receptions for her squad.

The Lady Warriors will now look to enter the win column when they return to the taraflex on Wednesday at the same Pasay Bayside arena, but on their way is star rookie Shaina Nitura and the rest of Adamson University.