INQUIRER Global Nation

After settling for bridesmaid’s finishes in the last two years, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) did not even make it to the wedding this time around.

USPF completed its run in the Shakey’s Tournament of Champions with a disappointing third place finish following a 25-19, 25-13, 25-18 win over the Central Philippines University in the battle-for-third yesterday at the University of St. La Salle covered court in Bacolod City.

The win, albeit a mere consolation from their goal of finally achieving the national crown, proved to be an anticlimactic end to the storied high school career of outgoing seniors Apple Saraum and sought-after spiker Danika Gendrauli.

After helping guide the Baby Panthers to championships in her four year career, Gendrauli, who was adjudged as the Universal Player awardee in the 2007 competition, leaves without a national crown to her name and will be deciding on which college to attend in the coming days.

UAAP powerhouse De La Salle University is hot on her tail along with several local schools in Cebu.

What started off as a promising day for USPF ended in bitter defeat Wednesday afternoon as it kissed its title hopes goodbye after losses to ousted champions Hope Christian University (HCU) and eventual champions University of St. La Salle-Integrated School (USLS).

USLS won the title by escaping HCU, 25-18, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12.

Head coach Jordan Paca admitted that the competition, especially the two protagonists in the championship match, proved to be too much for them to handle especially with their lack of able ground defenders.

“Lisud jud kaayo ang duha ka team kay perteng kalig-on sa offense and sa defense. Kami, we tried to match their intensity on offense but we really couldn’t stop their attacks down the middle,” said Paca in an interview yesterday.

The tossers of both HCU and USLS also went at it in the gold-medal game of the Palarong Pambansa in Palawan and were playing with intact rosters. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio