UE’s Arado bags UAAP POW plum

UNIVERSITY of the East (UE) prized libero Kath Arado proved that in volleyball one can help the cause even without scoring.

The fourth year volleybelle was the catalyst in the Lady Warriors’ offense with her vaunted floor defense in full display as UE scored a huge upset over University of Sto. Tomas.

Arado’s feat in covering the floor to deliver the Recto-based squad’s second straight win earned her the nod as recipient of the UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week honor.

The 5-foot-4 libero tallied 32 excellent receptions and 28 digs as the Lady Warriors shocked the Tigresses, 25-23, 18-25, 28-26, 26-24, on Wednesday to open the second round elimination of the 80th UAAP women’s volleyball tournament.

Interim coach Rod Roque praised the heroics of Arado, whose cat- quick reflexes and nose for the ball sparked UE’s counterattacks against the powerhitting UST side led by Sisi Rondina.

“She’s No. 1 in the league, she’s also No. 1 in our hearts,” said Roque, whose wards ended the first round with a fiveset win over Adamson University that snapped their 13- game losing skid.

The Lady Warriors improved their record to 2-6 tied with their victim.

UE handed UST its fourth straight defeat and marked the first time the Lady Warriors prevailed over the Tigresses since the start of the Final Four era in 1994.

The Lady Warriors also claimed their first back-to-back victories since Season 74 but most importantly gave UE a fighting chance to vie for a spot in the Final Four if not improve their record from last year’s seventh place finish.

Arado edged for the weekly honor given by broadsheet, tabloid and online publication reporters covering the beat other top performers in teammate Mary Anne Mendrez, Kim Kianna Dy of De La Salle University, Tots Carlos of University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University’s Jho Maraguinot.