PHOTO BY TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.net
Need more proof that it’s open season in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament? Far Eastern University just hammered out another one.
With Bernadeth Pons and Chin Basas at the helm, the Lady Tamaraws dealt the previously invincible Lady Bulldogs their first defeat, 25-22, 25-27, 25-13, 25-20, to form a crowd at second place at FilOil Flying V Centre.
Earlier, the UP Lady Maroons found an antidote to high-powered UST star Cherry Rondina by unleashing scoring dynamo Diana Carlos in a 31-33, 25-23, 25-16, 25-12 victory.
Pons finished with 18 points, while Basas had 13 as FEU scored the stunning upset for a 4-2 record, tying title favorites La Salle and Ateneo.
“This is a big help for us, especially for the team’s morale,” said FEU coach George Pascua in Filipino. “Hopefully we can sustain the momentum, the consistency, and the effort.”
Setter Kyle Negrito added eight points aside from tossing 25 excellent sets for the Lady Tamaraws.
The Lady Bulldogs were never in control except in the neck-and-neck battle in the second frame. They got 10 points each from Jaja Santiago and Roseyln Doria.
UP laid out a punishing net defense—scoring 14 kill blocks in the process—while letting loose Carlos, who unloaded a career-high 32 points to arrest her team’s losing streak.
The Lady Maroons also got 24 points from the other half of their twin-engine offense, Isa Molde. And UP focused on clamping down on Rondina—the top scorer this season with an average of 22 points per game.
Rondina still managed to produce 23 points, while Christine Francisco and Dimdim Pacres had 12 and 10 respectively for the Tigresses, who led 18-10 in the opening set but struggled long and hard to close.
“I need to be the leader and come up with a game to inspire my teammates,” said Rondina. “But I still have room for improvement.”
Both UST and UP are tied at 2-4.
After narrowly losing the opening set, the Lady Maroons trained their efforts on Rondina on the way to nailing their first frame win since beating University of the East last Feb. 4.
That limited the options of UST, which had already lost EJ Laure, who is out for the season because of a shoulder injury, and libero Rica Rivera, whose reception the Tigresses sorely missed.