UAAP Volleyball: FEU pushes UST to brink of elimination with 3-set win

FEU Lady Tamaraws vs UE Lady Warriors. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Far Eastern University is one step closer to trimming down the Final Four hopefuls after trouncing University of Santo Tomas, 25-21, 25-21, 25-23, in the UAAP Season 80 women’s volleyball tournament Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre.

The Lady Tamaraws, who took the third spot with a 6-3 record, sent the Golden Tigresses to their fifth straight loss and a 2-7 record.

UST is now on the edge of elimination and one more loss will send the Golden Tigresses out of the Final Four race.

From a 21-17 deficit, UST managed to claw back and tied the third set at 23-all after Cherry Rondina’s heroics.

That, however, was UST’s final stand as FEU retaliated down in the clutch with Pons hitting an off-the-block kill for the Lady Tamaraws’ 24-23 lead.

FEU head coach George Pascua knew their service game was their biggest edge over UST and he made sure his Lady Tamaraws followed that instruction to the dot.

UST is no. 6 in the standing in terms of efficiency rate in receptions at a dismal 22.26 percent, and FEU took advantage of that scoring 19 service aces.

“We knew that their reception wasn’t that great, that was our observation,” said Pascua in Filipino. “I reminded them that when we beat them in the first round we had a lot of service aces.”

FEU had 12 service aces against UST in its three-set win in the first round.

And as if fate would have it, FEU’s final point of the match turned out to be a service ace when UST’s defense failed to return Czarina Grace Carandang’s service.

Bernadeth Pons had 15 points to lead FEU while Toni Rose Basas and Heather Guino-o had 10 and nine points, respectively.

Cherry Rondina finished with 11 points for the Golden Tigresses.