Rookie Angge Poyos and sophomore Cassie Carballo led the way for top seed University of Santo Tomas. 

The Golden Tigresses survived their first assignment in the second round of the UAAP Season 96 women’s volleyball tournament after prevailing over Ateneo in an epic five-set thriller, 25-15, 27-25, 23-25, 26-28, 15-13, on Wednesday night, March 20, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The España squad stayed unbeaten in eight straight outings to keep the solo lead in the standings. 

League-leading server and setter Cassie Carballo led three players in double figures including herself with 10 points highlighted by four service aces – two of which came in the crucial stretch on top of 26 excellent sets.

Poyos posted a team-high anew for the Golden Tigresses with 22 points off 21 kills made and a single block. 

Regina Jurado and Jonna Perdido took turns in the closing set to eventually finish with equally huge contributions of 19 and 17 markers, respectively, to help UST in the endgame. 

The loss on the other side, however, dropped Ateneo further with a 2-6 slate in the standings. 

While UST’s strongest rotation came out the better side, Ateneo’s reliable trio provided the scare with Lyann De Guzman pacing the Blue Eagles with 22 points while Sobe Buena and Zel Tunashima had 21 big markers in the losing cause. 

Yvana Sulit also added 12 points of her own to prove Ateneo’s resilience in the eventual defeat. 

The fifth set saw the match tied at 13-all before Perdido delivered the back-to-back clincher that sealed UST’s victory in as many games.