The University of Santo Tomas bounce back from a third-set setback to dominate the fourth frame and down College of Saint Benilde, 25-22, 25-15, 15-25, 25-12, in the 2026 Shakey’s Collegiate National Invitationals at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Monday, July 20.
Following a difficult third frame where the team relied heavily on its second and third units, veteran mainstays Angge Poyos, Marga Altea, and Avril Bron re-entered the floor to re-establish control and steer head coach Shaq Delos Santos’ squad to its second straight win.
Poyos anchored the Golden Tigresses with 15 points—14 off kills—alongside seven digs and four excellent receptions. Altea overcame a sluggish beginning to score 10 points, seven of which were registered in the final set, while Bron chipped in 10 markers. Despite the victory, UST gave up 29 total errors during the four-set clash.
“Nakaka-overwhelm kasi ginawa ko lang po ang best ko para makabawi especially coming nu’ng first set na medyo off pa po. Ginawa ko lang ‘yung best ko nu’ng pinasok ako ulit nu’ng fourth set,” said Altea, who played a crucial role in the final frame.
After falling behind 2-4 early in the fourth set, the Tigresses regained momentum as Altea fired three consecutive service aces to ignite a game-changing 6-0 run.
The España-based volleyball program eventually built a commanding 21-10 lead before Altea, Bron, and Poyos joined forces to close out the match on a 4-2 run, wrapping up the contest in one hour and 45 minutes.
UST had tried out different lineup rotations during the third frame, but the experiment allowed Saint Benilde to erase an early 2-6 deficit and engineer a 20-10 surge to stave off a sweep.
Following a tournament-opening sweep of Enderun Colleges, the Tigresses look to keep their winning streak intact when they clash with Colegio de San Juan de Letran on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the Lady Blazers failed to follow up on their straight-sets triumph over guest team Ho Chi Minh City Volleyball Club, dropping their record to 1-1.
Mary Grace Borromeo paced Saint Benilde with 12 points off 10 spikes and two blocks, while Mhonniecka Joyce Soliven also tallied 12 points and Camila Bartolome contributed eight in the loss.
Saint Benilde will aim to recover from the loss when it goes up against Enderun Colleges on Tuesday.
Fans can catch all tournament games live and on-demand via Solar Sports and PusoP.com.