Adamson University extended its unbeaten streak to eight with a 25-18, 25-17, 24-26, 25-19 victory over University of Santo Tomas (UST) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 high school girls' volleyball tournament on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City.
After dropping the third set, the Lady Baby Falcons quickly regrouped in the fourth with Francheska Adem delivering a pair of kills before watching the Tigresses commit an error that gave them an 11-6 edge to set the stage for their eighth consecutive win.
An Ellaine Gonzalvo hit later brought Adamson to match point, but UST mounted one last push, capitalizing on two Adamson errors before Mishka Estrada’s block and Lianna Sanchez’s ace trimmed the gap to 24-19.
The late rally, however, ran out of steam, as Seanne Ordonio’s attack sealed the Lady Baby Falcons’ victory.
“I always remind them to stay humble. We should still stay grounded and focused because all teams here are determined to beat us,” Adamson coach JP Yude said.
“Mentally, there’s pressure on the players. They have a lot of worries about sustaining the streak. But I told them that they should not worry about the streak and, instead, work hard.”
Adem delivered an all-around performance with 18 points, built on 14 attacks, three blocks, and seven digs, while Gonzalvo contributed 15 points purely from attacks.
On defense, libero Maegan Pineda proved reliable with 23 excellent digs, as Elaine Garces orchestrated the offense with 23 precise sets.
UST, which dropped to a tie with Far Eastern University-Diliman at fourth with 4-4 slates, received balanced scoring from Ryzel Laag, Andreaj Tan Chun Bing and Erin Sotto, who each tallied seven points, while Chasliey Pepito anchored the defense with 15 excellent digs.
Meanwhile, defending champion National University-Nazareth School returned to the win column after its first defeat, dispatching Far Eastern University-Diliman (FEU-D) in straight sets, 25-23, 25-18, 25-21, to remain at solo second at 7-1.
The Lady Baby Tamaraws briefly held a 10-7 lead in the third set following a five-point run highlighted by back-to-back hits from Aleah Devosora. Momentum soon shifted, however, as the Lady Bullpups strung together four consecutive points — thanks to FEU-D’s miscues, an ace from Diza Berayo, and a clever tip by Adeleine Agustin — to reclaim the lead at 15-14.
The set remained tight, with both squads exchanging points until a 21-all deadlock. The Lady Bullpups then rattled off five straight points, with an FEU-D attack error putting them at match point before Berayo’s quick tip sealed the victory.