The FEU Lady Tamaraws edge out the UST Golden Tigresses in a battle of neighborhood rivals to open their UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament campaign.
The FEU Lady Tamaraws scored a convincing win over the UST Golden Tigresses on Saturday 25-19, 16-25, 25-14, 25-20 in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament opening weekend at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
FEU bucked a second-set stumble against the Tigresses, before upping the ante in Sets 3 and 4 that gave returning head coach Tina Salak a triumphant return to the UAAP.
Here are three takeaways following the matchup.
FEU was quick to shut UST down
UST would immediately tie things up with FEU in Set 2, with Cassie Carballo’s cerebral setting leading to the likes of Angge Poyos and rookie Marga Altea piercing through the Tams’ defense. Poyos’ spiking looked as sharp as ever, while Altea looked comfortable in her transition from middle blocker to wing spiker.
But a much different FEU came out swinging by Set 3, where they limited the Tigresses to a measly seven attacks along with penetrating through their floor defense. While the Tigresses showed signs of life in Set 4, crucial kills from Jaz Ellarina and Gerz Petallo ultimately conn sealed the Lady Tams’ opening day win.
Salak gave her props to UST’s adjustments following the game, while also acknowleding her Lady Tams’ own lapses.
“Nagkaroon ng adjustment ang UST na hindi kami nakaadjust agad, pero ‘yung third set and fourth set, nabalanse na namin ‘yung strategy. And ‘yun nga, naging maganda din ‘yung outcome nung result and especially dun sa performance ng mga bata,” she explained.
“Ang bilis din ng adjustments, but siguro may mga jitters din katulad ng sinasabi na identity, baka nawala lang during that bit pero nakuha din. ‘Yun, ganon lang, pero at the end of the day, tinrabaho namin itong first game na ito.”
The Lady Tams’ balanced offense was a beauty to watch
Another highlight in FEU’s convincing win was their balanced attack, with four Lady Tams finishing in double digits. Sophomore foreign student athlete Faida Bakanke showed much-improved poise and maturity as she finished with a game-high 16 points built on 14 spikes.
Gerzel Petallo poured in 15 markers as another steady source of scoring, while veteran Jean Asis added 14. Chenie Tagaod finished with 10 markers, while Jaz Ellarina’s six points provided the finishing punch for the Morayta-based squad.
“‘Yung masasabi ko lang po is teamwork lang talaga, hindi lang isa o dalawa ‘yung nagbubuhat ng team kundi kami po lahat nagcocontribute. Yun po ‘yung pinakabig factor kung bakit kami nanalo,” Petallo said during the post-game press conference.
Tin Ubaldo seamlessly activated the Lady Tams’ offense, finishing with 12 excellent sets against the Golden Tigresses.
“Ayokong ma-satisfy kasi, mahirap magkaroon ng satisfaction, baka ang mga bata they take it as a complement…I want to challenge her more na magkaroon ng [mas mataas] na percentage ng distribution ng kanyang set plays,” Salak said after Ubaldo’s performance.
“But I appreciate na nakikita natin ‘yung growth ni Tin and I appreciate din ‘yung character ni Tin, na onti-onti na niyang nakikita ‘yung sarili nya kung ano ‘yung role niya sa team…but ‘yun nga, hindi ako magsesettle na masatisfy siya kagad.”
UST’s continued bout with inconsistency
The Tigresses have long struggled with roller-coaster performances, and this game was no different. As mentioned, they were quick to bounce back by Set 2, which saw their trademark fast-paced offense in full swing. But once the Tams adjusted, the Tigers’ chances of winning were quick to disappear during the final two sets.
On one hand, the injured Xyza Gula and Jonna Perdido could have possibly altered this outcome, given their experience with the Tigresses. Perdido was a secondary option last year, while Gula is known for providing much-needed momentum off the bench.
But despite this loss, UST can still draw some positives from the return of Angge Poyos, who finished with a team-high 13 points against the Lady Tams. Poyos also showed off her offensive smarts on Saturday, using some crafty hits that caught the FEU defense off-guard especially in Set 2.
Altea finished with 10 markers as a converted open spiker along with co-captain Reg Jurado, while middle blockers Pia Abbu and Blessing Unewke showed their own flashes of potential for the Tigresses.
Banner images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.