UST ousts NUNS, makes SGVIL finals

University of Santo Tomas (UST) dug deep in its bag of tricks to dethrone National University Nazareth School (NUNS) and book a championship seat with a come-from-behind 25-22, 19-25, 17-25, 25-19, 15-11 victory in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup Division 1 Final Four on Thursday at the La Salle Green Hills Gym.

Fueled by the momentum of their fourth set comeback to force the decider, the Junior Tigresses uncorked a decisive 7-1 run in the fifth frame to snuff the fight out of the stunned Lady Bullpups for their breakthrough final appearance.

Eliminated early in the last two editions of the country’s biggest grassroots volleyball league backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea, UST will take on the winner in the other semis pairing being played as of press time between two-time runner-up Bacolod Tay Tung and Far Eastern University-Diliman in the winner-take-all finale on Friday.

Kimberly Rubin led the way for the Junior Tigresses with 20 points. Patricia Mendoza added 12 markers while Jezel Silvestre and Nicole Pelaez chipped in 11 points each for UST, which remained unbeaten in six games and avenged its semis loss to NUNS in University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88.

“We’re so happy. We just executed our game plan and did what we have been working on in training. We played our game with a lot of heart,” said graduating winger Rubin, who had 18 kills, one ace and one kill block.

UST rallied from a 6-8 deficit in the fifth set with a blistering run to take a 13-9 advantage off a Silvestre hit. Rubin sent her serve long in the next play before Eliz Menchavez put the Junior Tigresses at match point.

Xyz Rayco saved a match point but Pelaez sealed the victory with a crosscourt kill to end the two-hour, 12-minute match.

Raine Alonzo led the Lady Bulldogs with 22 points on 18 attacks, three aces and a kill block. Rayco had 18 points, Jhanynna Bulandres added 16 while Bella Cruz finished with 11 points for NUNS, which saw its five-game winning streak snapped.

Meanwhile, undefeated University of Batangas High School beat Corpus Christi School, 25-13, 23-25, 25-16, 25-13, to secure a final berth in Division 2.

The Junior Lady Brahmans will take on the survivor of the other Final Four clash still being disputed by Bacolod Tay Tung-B and NUNS-B.

On the other hand, St. John’s Institute swept King’s Montessori School, 25-15, 25-16, 25-15, while Adamson University dominated Immaculada Concepcion College, 25-14, 25-20, 25-16, in the Division 1 classification round.

In the Division 2 classification round, UST-B defeated La Salle Green Hills, 25-8, 25-18, 20-25, 25-12, while St. Jude Parish School topped Domuschola International School, 25-8, 20-25, 25-19, 25-20.