With Angge Poyos' status for Game 2 still unclear, the UST Golden Tigresses will have to dig deep to force a do-or-die match against NU in the UAAP Season 86 Finals.
The University of Santo Tomas’ biggest adversity in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Looking to tie the match at a set apiece in Game 1, Angge Poyos twisted her right ankle after stepping on Em Banagua after a block attempt. It was a horrific deja vu moment for the Golden Tigresses, as Poyos' injury evoked memories on then rookie Eya Laure's own twisted ankle in Game 2 of the Season 81 Finals against Ateneo.
UST eventually lost the match and the series.
With Poyos out for the remainder of the match, National University simply took over to take a rather comfortable straight-sets victory over UST, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20, for a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three.
[ALSO READ: UAAP: Alyssa Solomon, NU near Season 86 crown after pouncing on Angge Poyos-less UST]
It’s still unclear whether Poyos can return for the Golden Tigresses come Game 2 on Wednesday, May 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
But as early as now, coach Kungfu Reyes already has a pecking order of who should be stepping up for the team in the absence of their super rookie.
“‘Yung bilin namin sa kanila, hindi namin hinihingi sa isang tao yung output ni Angge, kailangan talaga magtulungan. Andyan pa rin si Xyza, si Pierre, si Reg, so depende na lang sa ano sa magiging takbo ng ensayo namin, naka ranking naman sila hindi ko lang pwede i-disclose agad kung sino ‘yung tao,” Reyes said during the post-game press conference.
“Kailangan lang talaga mag tulungan para manalo, hindi naman kami nanalo dahil si Angge lang umiiskor, nanalo kami as a group,” he emphasized.
After their Game 1 loss, Reyes also bared his words of encouragement for the young UST team, who had proven their doubters wrong throughout Season 86.
“Sabi nga namin 'wag mawala yung character na meron kami at isang bilin namin walang nanalo ng isang panalo sa larong best-of-three. Kailangan lang namin makabalik,” said Reyes.
[ALSO READ: UAAP Finals schedule: UST Golden Tigresses, NU Lady Bulldogs figure in an unexpected, but perfect title pairing]
With or without Poyos in Game 2, Reyes hopes that the Golden Tigresses will continue to show their fight as they look to even the series and force a deciding match against the Lady Bulldogs.
“Siguro sa part ng mga players, maging inspirasyon pa nila si Poyos kasi definitely gustong-gusto niyang makalaro kasi nga na experience niya na mawala ng isang game eh, ‘yung nagkasakit siya so definitely ngayong Finals ayaw niyang mawala ulit,” said Reyes.
“Hopefully maging motivation sa kanila na mag step up, di lang sa tao, kundi yung grupo para manalo kami,” he added.