Sports
OCTOBER 30, 2018
UST dominates UAAP sands Arbasto
THE UST Lady Spikers made history bagging their third-straight UAAP beach volleyball crown, while the Tiger Spikers reclaimed the title they lost last season as the tournament came to a cross last Oct. 7. Four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Sisi Rondina and Season 80 Rookie of the Year Baby Love Barbon whipped De La Salle University’s Michelle Morente and Tin Tiamzon in Game 2 of the finals, 21-7, 21-16, to secure the title and cap their undefeated run at the SM Sands by the Bay. UST became the first team in UAAP beach volleyball history to win three-consecutive championships in the women’s division. The Lady Spikers also has the most tournament titles with six. Leading 9-8 in the second set of Game 2, UST ignited a 12-8 blitz, capped by Rondina’s drop shot for the win. “Wala naman masyadong naging pressure kasi sa simula pa lang, La Salle na talaga ang pinaghandaan naming team,” UST head coach Paul Jan Doloiras told the Varsitarian. Requinton Rondina finished her last beach volleyball game for UST with 16 points while Barbon added 13 markers. Rondina also bagged her fourth beach volleyball title and MVP award in five years with four different partners. She first won the championship with Rica Rivera in 2014, Jem Gutierrez in 2016 and Season 79 Rookie of the Year Caitlyn Viray in 2017. “Alam kong puwedeng makuha ng La Salle ‘yong pagkakataon na mag-champion and ayaw ko namang umalis at ibigay na lang ng ganoon,” Rondina said. Rondina added it was a bittersweet celebration,
knowing her journey on the UAAP sand court has ended. She finished her career undefeated in 19 games since 2016. “Ganoon talaga, may katapusan talaga. Kung puwede lang na maglaro pa ako for UST, why not, ‘di ba? Pero wala eh, may limit talaga pero masaya ako kasi nakuha ko ang goal ko this year na mag-champion ulit, bonus na lang ‘yong sweep and ‘yong mga awards,” she said. In men’s play, the Tiger Spikers redeemed themselves from last year’s heartbreak after sweeping the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in Game 1, 21-14, 21-16, before escaping in Game 2, 21-13, 22-24, 15-10. Season 80 Rookie of the Year Jaron Requinton’s down-the-line kill in the deciding set sealed the title for UST. “Nandoon kasi ‘yong willingness nilang dalawa na manalo at gusto talaga nilang mag-champion kaya tinrabaho nila ng mabuti at ‘yon ang nagdala sa kanila,” Doloiras said. Requinton exploded with a game-high 33 points while men’s MVP Anthony Arbasto added 11 markers in his last UAAP beach volleyball game. The Tiger Spikers are now tied with the National University as the winningest team in the UAAP with four championships. IVAN RUIZ L. SUING
Rondina
Barbon
Tracksters bag 21 gold medals in Unigames UST RULED the 23rd Philippine University Games (Unigames) with its tracksters winning 21 gold medals in the athletics competition in Dumaguete City from Oct. 22 to 28. Female Tracksters Rosnani Pamaybay and Karen Janario ruled the 100 and 200-meter dash events, respectively, while reigning UAAP Most Valuable Player Louielyn Pamatian outlasted her opponents in the 400-meter dash and 800-meter run. Janario and Jessa Jarder conquered the 100 and 400-meter hurdles events, respectively. Jianne Calis topped the 1500 and 3000-meter run events while Jhanine Mansueto dominated the 5000-meter run. Alyssa Andrade and Elvy Villagoniza nabbed the top spots in the long and triple jump events, respectively, while Luz Delfin (shotput), Aira Teodisio (discus) and Efrelyn Democer (javelin) also struck gold in the throwing events.
The Female Tracksters also emerged on top in the relay events. In men’s play, Male Trackster Andre Bardos secured the gold medal in the 400-meter dash event. Bardos then joined Ronelle Marquez, Eric John Villasan and John Carlo Mariano for another gold in the 4x200-meter relay and the classical relay events, respectively. “Magandang stepping stone ito kasi maganda ang conditioning nila with one month to go sa UAAP pero hindi pa nila naaabot ang peak nila,” UST Tracksters head coach Manny Calipes told the Varsitarian in a phone interview. The Golden Tigresses notched their third-straight championship after fending off the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs in the finals, 23-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-16. “Hindi kami na-intimidate sa NU noong nanalo sila sa first set kasi kilala naman namin galaw namin. Sinabi ko sa mga bata na bigyan nila ng magandang exit si Sisi (Rondina) kasi last Unigames na niya ito,” Golden Tigresses assistant
coach Yani Fernandez said. The Tiger Spikers were Unigames champions anew after surviving the College of Saint Benilde Blazers in a 25-23, 20-25, 25-21, 20-25, 17-15 thriller. Setter Tim Tajanlangit’s drop shot in the deciding set iced the Tiger Spikers’ second-straight crown. The beach volleyball tandem of Baby Love Barbon and Genesa Eslapor dethroned defending champion University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos Lady Rams, 21-12, 21-12, to nab gold. “Last year, biglaan lang ‘yong pagsali namin, pero ngayon, pinaghandaan talaga namin ito, kahit wala si Rondina, nag-step up naman ‘yong dalawa bata,” UST beach volleyball head coach said. In men’s play, UST’s Efraem Dimaculangan and Rancel Varga took home gold after pounding the Rizal Technological University in the finals, 21-15, 21-12. IVAN RUIZ L. SUING and JUSTIN ROBERT VALENCIA
Resurgent Salinggawi eyes cheerdance title THE UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe has added a fourth pyramid base for greater stability as it embarks on another hunt for UAAP cheerdance title on Nov. 17. The group, holder of eight league titles, is hoping to end an 11-year title drought with better stunts and a more polished execution, said coach Mark Chaiwalla, whose team f inished second last season. “I really tr y to upgrade element per element kasi hindi ko naman hahayaan na may weak element sa routine,” he told the Varsitarian. Salinggawi came second to the last in the stunts with only 65 points. It placed fourth with 83 points in pyramid, a weakness
Chaiwalla hopes to address by adding a four base compared to the usual three. “We improved all the elements na mababa ‘yong scores namin dati at ‘yong mga strong elements naman, we made them stronger this year,” the 27-year-old mentor said. But the team, he said, would not veer away from its strengh — the dance element. In Season 80, Salinggawi outperformed all the schools in the dance categor y with 340.5 points, 3.5 points higher than defending champion Adamson University Pep Squad. “Syempre hindi namin hahayaang dance troupe kami pero hindi kami mag-na-number
one sa dance, that is our greatest strength,” Chaiwalla said. Last March, the squad bagged its f irst coed title in the 13th National Cheerleading Championships (NCC), while claiming their second-straight diadem in the all-girls cheer division. Salinggawi will be the third to perform in the competition on Nov. 17 at the Mall of Asia Arena. UST is still tied with the University of the Philippines with the most number of UAAP cheerdance titles at eight. Salinggawi is also the only team to capture f ive-consecutive titles in UAAP cheerdance histor y. IVAN RUIZ L. SUING and JUSTIN ROBERT VALENCIA