MANILA, Philippines – Angge Poyos and the UST Golden Tigresses must be on cloud nine.

The rookie delivered anew as UST stayed spotless in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament after a 25-19, 25-16, 25-19 sweep of the Ateneo Blue Eagles at the Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, March 9.

Coming up with another gem of a performance, Poyos fired a career-high 26 points built on 21 attacks, 3 aces, and 2 blocks to propel the Tigresses to a fifth straight win.

The swift victory allowed UST to solidify its place atop the eight-team standings, although Poyos does not want the Tigresses to rest on their laurels knowing that their perfect start also comes with a big target on their back.

“We cannot be complacent and we cannot relax,” said Poyos in Filipino.

But even with the rest of the UAAP zeroing in on Poyos, the talented hitter continued her splendid run as she breached the 20-point plateau for the fourth straight match.

Averaging 22.4 points through five games, Poyos punished Ateneo with 11 points in the opening set and already reached 20 points by the time the second set ended.

“I just want to play and contribute to the team. My individual performance is not that important, I just want to contribute on offense and defense,” said Poyos.

Regina Jurado chimed 12 points off 10 attacks for UST, while Jonna Perdido and Margaret Banagua added 8 and 5 points, respectively.

Like Poyos, Jurado hopes the Tigresses maintain a level-headed approach.

“It is just the first round. For sure, other teams will make adjustments in the second round. And for sure, we’ll have a hard time,” Jurado said.

Only Lyann de Guzman finished in double-figure scoring for the Blue Eagles with 11 points as Ateneo absorbed its second straight loss and fourth overall in five games.

Sliding to 1-4, the Blue Eagles fell to seventh place, just above the winless UP Fighting Maroons. – Rappler.com