UST Tigresses.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—University of Santo Tomas came into the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament with little to no expectations.
On Saturday, the Golden Tigresses swept through the first round following a 25-18, 22-25, 25-15, 28-26 victory over the skidding Adamson Lady Falcons.
Setter Cassie Carballo and libero Detdet Pepito, who played crucial roles in UST’s seventh win, were thrilled to see the Tigresses exceed expectations as they emerged on top of the standings ahead of preseason favorites La Salle (6-1) and National University (5-2).
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball first round
What makes UST’s unbeaten start more impressive is that the Tigresses lost several of their key cogs including their superstar Eya Laure.
“We’re super grateful because we reached 7-0 without having any expectations this season,” said Carballo in Filipino after dishing out 22 excellent sets on top of five points. “We took it one game at a time because we wanted to go home without any regrets that’s why we’re always trying our best.”
But Carballo knows the Tigresses, who swept the first round for the first time since the 2006-07 season, can’t afford to let their guards down with the Lady Spikers and Lady Bulldogs breathing down their necks.
READ: UAAP volleyball: UST vows no letup as first-round sweep nears
“We can’t be complacent because we could lose [our lead in the standings] once we relax,” said Carballo.
“We’re facing a lot of challenges these past few days because of our prelims. We lacked enough rest because we’ve been studying and accomplishing our school requirements but there’s no reason to let up on practice.”
Pepito, who protected the floor with 21 digs and 12 excellent receptions, shared the same sentiments.
READ: Sisi Rondina tells UST Tigresses: stay hungry, composed
“We still have a lot to improve and we have a lot of lapses to work on,” said the UST team captain in Filipino. “We can’t be complacent with the standings right now because we know that many teams want to get back at us.”
“So we have to triple the effort in training so we will be able to get better results in round 2.”
Pepito is proud of the Tigresses, who proved they are legitimate title contenders this season.
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“I’m just happy because we’re reaping the fruits of our hard work. In practice, we never relax because we want to go through the hardships in training so it will be easier in the games,” Pepito said.