MANILA, Philippines –Rachel Ann Daquis has been with Far Eastern University long enough to understand how much this match means to the Lady Tamaraws.
A star for FEU in her collegiate days, Daquis summoned her old fiery form as the Lady Tamaraws repulsed the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, to clinch the last finals berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 First Conference at Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.
Daquis poured a match-high 26 hits built around 20 attacks to lift the Lady Tamaraws to their first finals appearance after 16 V-League tournaments.
A league pioneer, the Lady Tamaraws are assured of their best finish since 2009, when they beat the San Sebastian Lady Stags for third spot in the Season 6 Second Conference.
Daquis delivered five of the team’s last eight hits to seal the victory.
“She just carried us through in this game,” said FEU coach Shaq delos Santos of Daquis, who joined the team late in the quarterfinal round.
The Lady Tamaraws will face the defending champion National U Lady Bulldogs in the best-of-three finals starting Sunday.
Bernadette Pons fired 15 points, while Jovelyn Gonzaga and Mary Joy Palma fired 12 hits apiece and Genevieve Casugod chipped in 10 spikes for the inspired Lady Tamaraws.
The Lady Falcons took Game 1 in five sets, but with Gonzaga and Daquis finally settling into the lineup, Adamson could not find an answer to the Lady Tamaraws duo.
Daquis made mincemeat of Adamson’s net defenders with precision shots and tip-ins, keeping the Lady Falcons guessing.
Palma and Casugod combined for seven blocks which proved to be the difference in the tightly contested sudden death duel.
Shiela Pineda and Thai Pacharee Sangmuang combined for 35 points, as Adamson matched FEU’s 58 spikes. But Pau Soriano struggled for only 10 points for Adamson.
The Lady Falcons struggled to get going in the first set, falling behind 14-21, before rallying to tie the match. Casugod and Daquis fired three straight hits to take the set. With a report from Paul Kennedy Lintag, Contributor