UAAP women’s volleyball: FEU forces Final Four decider, upsets NU

FEU Lady Tamaraws celebrate during a win over the top-seeded NU Lady Bulldogs in their UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball Final Four match.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Far Eastern University showed up with the best version of itself and never looked this good.

Running the risk of ending their season completely, the Lady Tamaraws practically outperformed themselves by downing the National University Lady Bulldogs, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23, on Saturday night to move a step closer to the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball finals.

“It’s not yet done. There’s one more game that we have to win,” said Chenie Tagaod after leading her team in erasing NU’s twice-to-beat advantage in their make-or-break face-off at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

UAAP SCHEDULE: Season 86 volleyball Final Four

Another victory come Wednesday will elevate the Lady Tamaraws to a championship showdown against the survivor between the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses and the La Salle Lady Spikers in the other Final Four pairing.

“Right now, we’re on Cloud 9. But we shouldn’t forget that it’s not yet over. We have to keep our feet on the ground because there’s more work to do,” said FEU coach Manolo Refugia.

FEU coach Manolo Refugia, Chenie Tagaod, and Tin Ubaldo after stunning NU. #UAAPSeason86 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/4CDGwKa3kH

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 4, 2024

Tin Ubaldo was the lynchpin that held them together, running the Lady Tamaraws offense fluidly with 16 excellent sets apart from four attacks, one block and an ace while Tagaod and Jean Asis were the recipients mostly of Ubaldo’s generosity with 12 points and 11 apiece.

“We’re super eager to be in the finals. Our performance back in Season 84 and last year have become our inspiration,” said Ubaldo.

READ: UAAP: FEU Lady Tamaraws try to extend their inspiring Final Four run

The Lady Tamaraws placed last among eight teams two years ago and missed the semifinal bus in Season 85 prior to pulling off the unthinkable of defeating the Lady Bulldogs, a squad they haven’t beaten the past six meetings since Season 84.

“Every game I’ve been thinking about those two seasons that we didn’t do well. I don’t want to go back and experience the feeling,” said Ubaldo.

FEU Lady Tamaraws’ Chenie Tagaod reacts during a UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball Final Four match against the NU Lady Bulldogs.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

As for the Lady Bulldogs, who swept the opposition in the second round, the meltdown was a complete heartbreak considering they have to utilize the leverage that they possessed in the semifinals.

Bella Belen tried to resuscitate her team in the third set and finished with 12 points while Vangie Alinsug and Alyssa Solomon chipped in eight attacks each.

But what hurt them most were the unforced errors that hounded the Lady Bulldogs all night long. They had 25 errors compared to FEU’s 20 with a large chunk carried out by Solomon.

Tagaod summoned her prowess late in the first set, pulling out the Lady Tamaraws from a deadlock at 20 by smashing the opposite floor for them to seize command.

Tagaod’s power strike followed by an ace put them within two points of sealing the opening frame.

But Erin Pangilinan made sure the Lady Bulldogs won’t give up just like that, deflecting Faida Bakanke’s blow and driving a down-the-line assault of her own.

A service error by Solomon in the next sequence didn’t help at all and Gerzel Petallo made sure this one would be theirs to take with an uncontested smash off a combination play.

The Lady Bulldogs’ mistakes, including Solomon’s six errors, obviously got into them as they fell early in the second set.

Jean Asis scored on a push while Solomon’s cross went too wide and Abe Pono committed a service error for a seven-point FEU advantage.

Asis further racked it up, dropping another bomb to the other side and tallying an ace before errors completely engulfed the Lady Bulldogs.

Way ahead 24-16 and looking for that killer, Ubaldo tossed it high for Bakanke, who soared above her blockers and punched down a strike that ended the set in a much easier fashion.

As the Lady Bulldogs seemed to have lost the will to fight in the third set, the underdog Lady Tamaraws raced swiftly ahead, 7-0, built on brilliant blocks and smart placement attacks.

Belen chopped away at the deficit as the Lady Bulldogs pulled within 22-21 on Cham Maaya’s ace with Solomon and Alinsug likewise chipping in.

But it was visibly not Solomon’s night after she committed another service blunder before Bakanke capped it off with an imposing crosscourt strike that rolled off Belen’s arms before dropping inside