The match, held at the Philsports Arena in Pasig on Sunday night, saw the Golden Tigresses overcome an early struggle and impose their dominance as they moved one win away from a perfect campaign of the tournament.
Displaying the same relentless aggression and poise that powered them through the elimination and semifinal rounds, the Golden Tigresses bucked a shaky start then controlled every aspect of the game the rest of the way to the dismay and disappointment of FEU coach Tina Salak.
In the third set, UST stormed ahead to an 8-2 lead, never allowing FEU to mount a serious threat. Each time the Lady Tams attempted a rally, the Golden Tigresses responded with a stronger counterattack, further cementing their dominance.
An Ange Poyos’ back-to-back hits made it 19-9 for UST, which practically battled FEU to a side-out game from there before Margaret Altea scored on a kill block and Jonna Perdido blasted in a power hit as the Golden Tigresses went unassailably ahead, 23-12.
Their sweeping victory lasted just one hour and 30 minutes, as they left no room for FEU to gather momentum. The España-based squad extended its unbeaten run to nine matches, including a flawless qualifying round and a semis sweep against the College of Saint Benilde Lady Blazers.
UST goes for a sweep of their best-of-three title series on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the same venue in Pasig City.
"Nung first set kasi down by three or basta malaki lamang nila kaya matagal kaming naka-recover. Kaya ang in-emphasize namin sa kanila is huwag kaming titigil hangga't hindi pumipito 'yung ref," said UST head coach Kungfu Reyes.
Reyes called for an early timeout in the first set after UST surrendered four straight points to FEU. However, setter Cassie Carballo and the top-seeded Tigresses found their rhythm and battled through the opening set, overcoming strong challenges from FEU’s Jazlyn Ellarina and Friday Bakanke at the net.
With the momentum on their side, UST cruised through the next two sets, with Carballo orchestrating a superb offense derived from solid defense and quick transitions.
Reyes shared: "Talagang ine-ensayo namin 'yang ganyang skills. Yung defense pattern namin, nako-compensate namin sa atake. Hindi kami ganoong katangkaran pero marunong naman kaming pumalo. Well-compensated na 'pag na-rebound namin 'yung bola, for sure aatakihin namin 'yung last action namin."
Carballo tallied 15 excellent sets to steer UST to victory, while Regine Jurado delivered 11 points, including a crucial kill that sealed the final set.
Poyos powered the Tigresses with a game-high 15 points, all from attacks, while Perdido chipped in 10 points.
Middle blocker Jean Asis added nine points, and Gerzel Petallo contributed eight markers for the Lady Tamaraws.
FEU faced setbacks in the second set as Petallo suffered cramps, and team captain Tin Ubaldo endured an awkward fall, resulting in her being wheeled off the court just before the match concluded.
