UST wallops La Salle for crown

Avid volleyball fans trooped to the Lyceum Gym expecting another classic match between two of the country’s best collegiate squads. They didn’t go home disappointed.

University of Santo Tomas rallied from a first set defeat again as it finished off La Salle, 18-25, 25-22, 25-13, 25-20, yesterday to clinch the Shakey’s V-League crown before a huge, noisy Sunday crowd in Intramuros.

Mary Jean Balse was the Tigresses’ source of strength as she pepppered the Lady Archers with a barrage of kills that powered the España-based belles to a sweep in this event bankrolled by Shakey’s and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

And after La Salle’s Ivory Ablig’s spike went wide, the Tigresses went to the court to form a circle as their followers whooped it up from the sidelines.

Balse, a rookie transferee from Davao, finished with 25 points, 20 coming on attacks — enough to earn her the Most Valuable Player trophy.

"Nag-adjust kami sa paluan, pinapalo ko si Balse sa gitna kaya nagulat ang La Salle, hindi nila alam kung paano sagutin iyon,"said UST coach August Sta. Maria, who steered his team to a 17-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16 Game 1 win.

But the win was sweeter for Joyce Paño, who has graduated early this year but never tasted a UAAP title in his four years with the pontifical school.

"Masaya ako dahil kahit hindi man ako nakatikim ng UAAP championship, nanalo naman kami dito," said the 22-year-old Pavia, Iloilo native who is now an elisted Air Force woman.

La Salle, which was hoping to even the series at one game apiece and force a deciding third game, went to work early as skipper Maureen Penetrante imposed her will at the net.

The Taft-based spikers carried the momentum until the second set, up at 9-8.

But it turned to be the La Salle’s last show of force as UST set up Balse in the middle that the Lady Archers found too hard to stop.

Meanwhile, UST’s Kate Co Yu Kang, who was with the national squad competing in the Princess Cup in Thailand, was named top receiver while Paño got the best server award.

Other individual awardees were San Sebastian’s Angela Descalsota (scorer), Lyceum’s Maria Angelica Bigcas (attacker), La Salle’s Maureen Penetrante (blocker), La Salle’s Shermain Miles Penano (digger) and Reiea Ferina Saet (setter).