UP outlasts UE in season opener

c/o UAAP Media Team

Games on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena

9 a.m. – Ateneo vs AdU (Men)
11 a.m. – NU vs DLSU (Men)
1 p.m. – Ateneo vs AdU (Women)
3 p.m. – NU vs DLSU (Women)

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines staved off the tough challenge of the depleted University of the East, surviving 25-18, 26-24, 24-26, 13-25, 15-13 in its UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball opener at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.

This victory already matched the Fighting Maroons’ win total last season where they went 1-13, but not after surviving a stirring Lady Warriors fightback from a 0-2 set hole and a 0-4 deficit in the decider.

“First game of the season of course coming in excited yung mga players, hindi pa nila alam what to expect, hindi rin alam yung changes ng UE since nawalan sila ng players, kung ano yung gagalawin nila. Later part lumaban sila tapos kami yung nag-off. Buti nakuha namin sa dulo in five sets,” said new UP head coach Benson Bocboc, who had himself a winning debut.

Down 12-18 in the third period, the Lady Warriors stayed alive as Riza Nogales, Kayce Balingit, and Cepada rallied to force a fourth set, 26-24.

That was enough to lit a fire in UE as Cepada and Nogales powered them to a dominant 25-13 fourth set to stretch the match to a decider.

Although trailing 2-8 early in the fifth, the Lady Warriors fought back through Cepada while Ashley Cañete’s ace tied the match at 13.

However, middle blockers Nica Celis and Niña Ytang came through in the clutch with the former hitting a push shot through the block for the match point before the latter hammered a quick kill for the win in two hours and 33 minutes.

“Kailangan namin i-work pa yung individual skills namin as well as teamwork and connection with each other,” said outside spiker Joan Monares, who had 17 points and 11 digs.

Rookie Kianne Olango also impressed with 15 points on 11 spikes and four blocks, while Irah Jaboneta and Ytang got 12 and 11 points, respectively.

UP looks to make it two in a row to open the season when it faces Far Eastern University on Wednesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

Cepada erupted for 24 points in the losing cause while Van Bangayan, in her return to indoor volleyball, made 17 points. Bangayan represented UE in beach volleyball in Seasons 86 and 87.

Kayce Balingit also added 12 points while Angelica Reyes was solid with 25 digs and 11 receptions.

UE seeks its first win next Saturday against University of Santo Tomas, also at the San Juan venue.