UST Tigresses’ star rookie Angge Poyos after the conclusion of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Angge Poyos may have ended her superb rookie year with an injury, but she vows to come back stronger for the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses next season.
Poyos, who injured her right ankle in the second set of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball Finals opener last week, hardly saw action in Game 2 as National University reclaimed its lost glory with a title-clinching 25-23, 23-25, 27-25, 25-18 win on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.
But the rookie from Bohol remained proud of the Tigresses’ unexpected run and she expects her young team team to keep up with it in Season 87.
READ: UAAP: All-heart UST Tigresses still proud of silver finish
“Sobrang proud lang kasi first season ko sa collegiate. Hindi man kami nag-champion ngayon, for sure, next year, mas pagbubutihan namin na makuha ang gold medal kasi ang babata pa namin,” Poyos said. “Sobrang dami pa kaming mae-experience sa mga susunod na taon. Gagawin na lang naming inspirasyon.”
Poyos earned the Rookie of the Year and was the runner-up to Season 86 MVP Bella Belen, who had 82.2 statistical points besting the former’s 76.964 SPs.
UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament rookie of the year Angge Poyos of UST TIgresses. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
In UST’s post-Eya Laure era, the Tigresses showed their big hearts every game from winning their first eight games to finishing with a 12-2 record for a twice-to-beat bonus before dethroning La Salle in the Final Four.
And Poyos, as UST’s top offensive weapon, is at the forefront of that awe-inspiring run.
Aside from becoming the most recent Tigress to win the top rookie since 2019, Poyos also earned the 2nd Best Outside Spiker award. She was also the second-best scorer in the league with 290 points from 249 attacks, 23 aces, and 18 blocks — just a point behind her fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Casiey Dongallo of University of the East.
READ: UST Tigresses and the ghosts of Game 2s at Mall of Asia Arena
The UST High School standout had 285 positional points for the outside spiker plum, emerging as the third most efficient attacker at 40.75% and the best server at 0.41 aces/set.
It may have an anticlimactic end to her amazing rookie season but Poyos believes this minor setback prepares her for a major comeback next year.
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“Grateful pa rin ako kasi nakaabot ako sa Finals. Sobrang nagging thankful sa mga coaches. Binigyan pa rin nila ako ng tiwala. Tinry ko yung best ko. Medyo hindi pa kinaya. Marami pa kaming time para bumawi. Sobrang haba pa ng career namin,” she said.
