CHAMPIONSHIPS delayed won’t be championships denied for University of Sto. Tomas and Far Eastern University.
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The Golden Tigresses brought a women’s volleyball title back home to España for the first time in 14 years by upending FEU in four sets, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21, 25-14, in a winner-take-all Game 3 of the V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge on Friday at the Philsports Arena.
It was UST’s seventh title in the collegiate meet and first in its current iteration since 2010, the year it last won the UAAP crown in Season 72 under now-deputy coach Shaq delos Santos.
Once under the weather in a sorry Game 2 loss, tournament MVP Angge Poyos stepped up to the plate bigtime in the rubber match with 31 points on 29 attacks, two blocks and eight receptions.
“Masaya yung grupo, at least naka-recover kami from an upset loss doon sa Game 2,” said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes.
“Masaya rin kasi kumpleto yung grupo namin bukod kay Em (Banagua). Na-experience ulit namin na mag-champion dito sa V-League, kaya overwhelming yung tuwa na nararamdaman namin.”
Best setter and Finals MVP Cassie Carballo had 19 excellent sets to go with five markers to back strong scoring outputs from mainstay spikers Reg Jurado (15 points) and Jonna Perdido (10 points).
Team captain Detdet Pepito, who had 17 digs, helped the España side shrug off its premature title celebrations after a late Set 5 collapse in Game 2 by securing a more composed four-set win to clinch the V-League crown for good.
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FEU made amends in the men’s division finals as it swept defending champion La Salle, 25-22, 28-26, 25-18, in Friday’s conference finale.
Similar to the Golden Tigresses, the Tamaraws squandered its first shot to clinch the V-League crown in Game 2.
But they won’t be denied a second time as Finals MVP Dryx Saavedra fired 24 points and seven digs to escape two tightly-contested opening frames before pulling away in the third.
Charles Absin and Lirick Mendoza backed the golden charge with 12 and 10 markers apiece, behind a strong two-way effort from skipper Jelord Talisayan who had eight points, six digs and 13 receptions.
“‘Yung nangyari kasi nung Game 2, parang real talk nangyari doon sa dugout namin. Walang lumabas na nakangiti o nakayuko, pero alam mo yung moment na minsan, masarap din matalo ‘eh,” said FEU head coach Ed Orcullo.
“Nakikita mo kasi nang masinsinan yung mga tao na kasama mo kasi hindi mo naman nakikita yung talagang tagumpay if palagi kang panalo.'
And even the return of Alas Pilipinas ace Noel Kampton couldn’t save La Salle’s title-retention bid as his six points and 10 receptions went for naught.
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