WITH the Final Four still to come, University of Sto. Tomas super rookie Angge Poyos has stood tall at the forefront of the Tigresses’ offense in what has been a UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament to remember for her.
The 5-foot-8, 20-year-old Boholana ace finished the elimination round as the season’s second top scorer with 290 points built on 249 attacks, 23 aces and 18 blocks — one point shy of University of the East’s Casiey Dongallo at 291.
READ: UST spoils Canino return for La Salle, locks in twice-to-beat bonus
But besides fighting for the ever-supportive UST community, Poyos told SPIN.ph how she drew inspiration not only from her current teammates but also from team alumni, fondly called "ate's" or elder sisters, who paved the way for the younger Tigresses to roar loud in Season 86. The team ended the elims with a twice-to-beat bonus as the second-seeds.
At this point last year, UST and top-seed La Salle met in the Season 85 Final Four wherein the Lady Spikers, the eventual champions, needed just one game to boot the Tigresses out of the title race.
It was former UST captain Eya Laure who led the Tigresses’ tough semis exit in what would be her final playing year in the UAAP alongside Imee Hernandez, KC Galdones and Milena Alessandrini.
While winning the championship is at the core of UST’s objective, Poyos made it clear that Season 86 is also a redemption for her ‘ates.’
“Ito na ‘yung pinaka-malaking chance para sa’min na ma-redeem ‘yung team nu’ng last season na ‘di nakuha ‘yung panalo," Poyos said. "Bata man kami, rebuilding team pero alam ko naman na kayang-kaya namin na pumasok sa semis, at tapos, kung papalarin, mag-Finals.”
Three more wins
Poyos believes the team would not be where they are if not for the passionate support of the UST community.
"Sobrang laking pasasalamat ko po sa UST community na walang sawang sumusuporta sa’min -- manalo, matalo, still nandyan pa rin sila," said Poyos.
"Sobrang saya po kasi nakuha namin yung twice to beat advantage and talagang nagtrabaho lahat and pinagsipagan namin lahat. Nangibabaw yung puso and tapang namin today kaya nakuha namin yung panalo," she added.
UST joins Final Four teams National University, the top seed, and Far Eastern University, the fourth seed.
NU, with a twice-to-beat edge, faces FEU in the other semifinal.
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