MANILA, Philippines – The FEU Lady Tamaraws scored consecutive wins for the first time in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament after scoring a 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 victory against the winless UE Lady Warriors at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday, March 5.
FEU — now holding a 3-2 record — was on the verge of a first-set upset but was able to hold on and break a 23-all tie, capped off by a Gerz Petallo service ace.
The second set was likewise claimed by the Lady Tamaraws, only needing 25 minutes of actual time to take a commanding 2-0 lead despite trailing 13-9 early on.
In the third, FEU once again broke through, dousing a late Lady Warriors run to end the contest after just 83 minutes, ended by a service ace from Tin Ubaldo.
“Looking forward, we would always prefer a winning trend, since we aim to return to the Final Four,” FEU head coach Tina Salak said in Filipino after the game.
“We aim to win our remaining games, but it will not be an easy task to claim wins against Adamson and La Salle,” she added.
FEU was led by the three-headed offensive attack of Petallo (12 points), Tagaod (11), and Mitzi Panangin (11).
On the other hand, Van Bangayan and Khy Cepada each scored a game-high 14, as the understaffed Lady Warriors sank to 0-5.
The Lady Tamaraws’ win broke a four-way tie at third place, separating from La Salle, Adamson, and UP, who all have 2-2 records.
“Our hard work made it all worth it, as it’s a nice preparation for our upcoming games, especially for our next game against Adamson,” remarked Salak.
“It will be a huge motivation for the players, and we stress the need to improve on our numerous lapses.”
FEU will next face the Lady Falcons led by rookie star Shaina Nitura on Saturday, March 8, while UE seeks to end its loss streak as it faces La Salle, also on the same playdate. – Rappler.com