MAKING its first appearance in the UAAP women’s volleyball’s biggest stage in five years, University of Santo Tomas hopes to flip the script in the Finals.

“Yung 2019 sabi nga history repeats itself pero this time, babaguhin namin yung result,” said Tigresses coach Kungfu Reyes Sunday night.

“Pipilitin namin na sabay-sabay kami ng mga bata na ito gaya ng sinasabi namin na yung hard work, na chinachambahan namin yung mga laro namin, pipilitin ulit namin na makachamba pagpasok ng Finals,” he added.

As the second-ranked team, UST reached the championship round after beating No. 3 La Salle in the Final Four, but lost to Ateneo in the title series that went to distance in 2019.

This season, the Tigresses emerged as the No. 2 team and conquered the third-ranked Lady Spikers anew to make a return trip to the Finals.

UST will face the winner of tomorrow’s do-or-die game between top-ranked National University and No. 4 Far Eastern University at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Tamaraws sent their Final Four duel to a decider after sweeping the Lady Bulldogs in straight-sets last Saturday.

Regardless of who will be their opponent be, Reyes vows one thing and that the Tigresses will be the hardest-working team in the championship series.

UST is 1-1 in its elimination round head-to-head against NU and FEU, with those losses came in the second round.

“Nakaready naman kami kahit sino yung makakalaban namin pero yun nga yung dalawang laro na yan gaya ng sinabi namin nung last game ng elimination, nandito na kami isasagad na namin ngayon ibubuhos na namin kung anong natitira pa namin na naitatago namin na hard work,” said Reyes.

“Yun lang talaga, talagang tinatrabaho namin araw-araw kung anong nakikita niyo diyan sa laro, araw-araw namin ginagawa na yan more on repetitions,” he added.

The league’s second winningest program behind the Lady Tamaraws’ 29, the Tigresses are eyeing for their 15th UAAP title overall, and their first since the squad led by Aiza Maizo and Ange Tabaquero ruled the tournament in the 2009-10 season.

It will be the first Finals series that will not feature La Salle or Ateneo, since FEU conquered Adamson in an epic championship that went into full route in 2008.

Five years ago, Sisi Rondina and Eya Laure ended up empty handed in their attempt to bring back the crown to España.

This year, UST led by super rookie Angge Poyos and rising star Jonna Perdido hope to accomplish what the highly-touted 2019 crew to do, as well as to prove the doubters wrong.

“Ginawa talaga namin silang inspirasyon. Unang game pa lang alam naming maraming kumukutya na ‘ay wala ito’. Napatunayan namin nung unang game, nakita namin kung ano yung kapasidad ng team namin,” said libero-captain Det Pepito.