Far Eastern University snagged a spot in the top four early after fending off University of the Philippines, 25-23, 25-12, 25-19, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Saturday at Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Tamaraws steadied their record to 2-2 and joined Ateneo at no. 4 while the Lady Maroons dropped their third straight game and are now at seventh with a 1-3 card.
From a 9-9 deadlock in the third set, FEU ramped up the ante and went on a 7-0 run that UP ironically capped off with an error as the Lady Tamaraws took a 16-9 lead.
Although UP managed to cut the deficit to 22-19, Celine Domingo came up big in the clutch and blocked Diana Carlos for FEU’s 24-19 lead before Jeanette Villareal ended the Lady Maroons with a service ace.
“We somehow managed to find a way to redeem ourselves because if we lose three straight it will be hard for us to come back,” said FEU head coach George Pascua in Filipino.
“This is a big morale-booster for us because this got the players to get their confidence back.”
FEU’s surge, however, didn’t start in the third nor second set but in the very first period when the Lady Tamaraws were down 23-19.
The Lady Tamaraws used a 6-0 run to close out the first set, the only time this season that they took the opening period.
Heather Guino-o led FEU with 11 points while Toni Rose Basas and Bernadeth Pons had 10 and nine points, respectively.
Carlos had 15 points to lead the Lady Maroons’ charge.