MANILA – University of the Philippines Lady Maroons surged to solo first place in UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball after a 25-18, 20-25, 25-22, 25-20 win over Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws on Wednesday night at San Juan Arena.
Diana Carlos led the way with 15 points, while Justine Dorog and Isa Molde added 12 and 11 markers, respectively, for the Lady Maroons, which surged to 2-0 win-loss record.
The Lady Maroons had a flat start in the opening set before going on an 8-2 scoring run to easily take the set. The Lady Tamaraws managed to bounce back in the second set to force a 1-1 set draw.
The Lady Maroons took the early lead in the third frame but the Lady Tamaraws countered with a run to come to within 20-21. Back-to-back hit by Molde and an ace from Ma. Arielle Estrañero sealed the set for UP.
In the fourth frame, the Lady Maroons got to an early advantage due to its precise serving and floor defense. The lead grew to 13-6 for the Lady Maroons and never looked back.
“The game was so hard. But we fought until the last minute. FEU is a good team. They keep on changing tactics, so you go with this plan, you find in between the game that they will change it,” said Lady Maroons head coach Godfrey Okomu.
Rookie Lycha Ebon led the way with 16 points built on 13 spikes, two blocks, and an ace, while Celine Domingo contributed 11 points for the Lady Tamaraws, which dropped to 1-1.
Meanwhile, Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles barged into the win-column with a 25-21, 25-18, 16-25, 25-22 win over University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses. Kat Tolentino tallied 20 points for the Lady Eagles./PN
