EYA LAURE churned out a golden performance for University of Santo Tomas (UST) as the Golden Tigresses entered Lent with back-to-back victories in University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball action.
On Palm Sunday, the España-based team leaned on Laure’s season-high 29 points to help UST blemish De La Salle University’s erstwhile unbeaten record.
The veteran hitter picked her spots carefully against the Lady Spikers, finishing with 45 percent efficiency to tow UST to 2-0 won-lost for the week and 7-3 overall.
Against University of the East earlier in the week, Laure finished with 17 points to carry the Golden Tigresses back to the win column.
Laure’s high octane performance netted her the Collegiate Press Corps UAAP Player of the Week presented by the San Miguel Corp. and Philippine Sports Commission for the period March 29 to April 2.
The second-generation sports star emerged as the unanimous choice among print and online journalists covering the beat.
Laure edged teammate Detdet Pepito for the award as well as former Player of the Week winner Angel Canino of De La Salle.
Far Eastern University’s Chenie Tagaod, National University’s Bella Belen and Adamson University’s Kate Santiago were the other nominees.
A regular Final Four will ensue following the Lady Spikers’ loss to the Tigresses.
“I just focused on making those hits, those spikes,” Laure said on their victory over De La Salle witnessed by more than 8,000 fans at the Big Dome. “We needed to cover, we needed to work hard.”
UST dominated De La Salle in spiking, 63-40, and limited their opponents to only six blocks—all in the second set which the Lady Spikers won.
“We searched for that victory and luckily, the girls did the right things,” head coach Kungfu Reyes said. “But then again, there were still lapses that we need to correct.”
After De La Salle leveled at 1-1, UST growled louder in the third set.
The Golden Tigresses pulled away from a 14-14 count behind Milena Alessandrini with Laure providing the finishing touches.
Laure and Alessandrini then joined forces with Regina Jurado to break the Lady Spikers’ backs in the fourth set and prevent a potential automatic Finals berth for the Lady Spikers.
Alessandrini had 20 points and nine excellent receptions, rookie Jurado made 12 points and 12 digs and libero Bernadett Pepito had 25 digs and 11 excellent receptions.
Angel Canino was the lone Lady Spiker in double figures with 13 points on 12 of 45 spikes.
Thea Gagate added nine points while Fifi Sharma, Jolina Dela Cruz and Jyne Soreño got eight points apiece for De La Salle.
UST takes on Ateneo on April 15 while De La Salle plays the next day against University of the Philippines both at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
