Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It took five sets for Far Eastern University to trump University of the Philippines, 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-12, and grab a share of the third spot in the UAAP Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
After taking an early 6-1 advantage in the fifth set, the Lady Tamaraws allowed the Lady Maroons to claw back to 13-12 after Aiesha Gannaban rose up in defense, but it was Toni Rose Basas’ match to win as her crosscourt kill sealed FEU’s third win in five games.
Basas was the star for FEU as she finished with 21 points, 19 off spikes, while Bernadeth Pons broke out for 21 points.
Lady Tamaraws head coach Shaq delos Santos said the thriller was something they needed to experience and it was a show of heart for his players to finally strengthen their fortitude.
“This is a good experience for us because this is what we need,” delos Santos said in Filipino after his team tied National University in third with a 3-2 slate. “Even before we already have composure. The only problem is our consistency every game. It will show for a time but when there’s pressure and the game is close, they start to lose it,”
“I really saw that they were fighting and I saw their improvement.”
Lady Tamaraws team captain Mary Joy Palma, who Delos Santos criticized before, showed her coach what she can do as she put up 13 points, including the 14-12 match point through a powerful middle hit.
Kathy Bersola led the Lady Maroons, who now sit at fourth seed with a 2-3 record, with 18 points while rookie Isa Molde added 17 of her own.
Molde’s fellow rookies Diana Carlos and Justine Dorog also finished in double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively.