Traditional UAAP women’s volleyball rivals Far Eastern University and University of Santo Tomas are treating their final first-round match on Saturday as a no-tomorrow clash, as the race for positioning heats up.
The Lady Tamaraws, riding a three-game winning streak, will stake their hold on third place against a Tigresses side aiming to close out a shaky first round on a high note at 3 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena.
FEU holds a 4-2 record, a game ahead of UST, which is currently tied with Adamson University and University of the Philippines at 3-3, occupying the fourth to sixth spots. The Lady Falcons and the Fighting Maroons meet on Sunday, with both teams eager to avoid the lower half of the standings heading into the second round.
Meanwhile, unbeaten De La Salle University (6-0) faces a three-peat-seeking National University (5-1) in a rematch of last season’s Finals, also at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
Behind Congo’s Faida Bakanke, Gerz Petallo, Jaz Ellarina, and Alyzza Devosora, veteran setter Tin Ubaldo, and the tournament’s top digger Marga Encarnacion, the Lady Tamaraws are determined to go deeper, having learned from early-season losses to the Lady Spikers and Lady Bulldogs.
“Continue lang namin yung ganitong momentum and gaano kami ka-passionate pagdating sa games and yung goal naman hindi natatapos sa first round, tuloy pa rin hanggang second round,” coach Tina Salak said after FEU dominated UP, 25-13, 25-21, 25-16, last Sunday. “Today’s performance bigay ko talaga sa kanila. Yung effort nila, yung leadership of course, not on making points, but it’s more on how to connect sa mga players na involved sa team, and also gusto ko rin iacknowledge yung mga coaches,” Salak added.
It was a challenging start for coach Shaq delos Santos’ second tour of duty with the Tigresses, who dropped three of their first five matches. However, last Wednesday’s 16-25, 25-13, 25-19, 25-20 victory over the Fighting Maroons could spark momentum for the España-based squad.
“Well, yung tapang, bumalik na, pero siyempre, hindi pa dapat kami magpakampante doon sa performance nila. Still, merong kailangan trabahuin. And talagang these past few days, especially after nung Adamson game, maraming usapan talaga, talk with the coaches, talk with the players, even with the admin and management of UST, na yung supporta talaga ng bawat isa, pinakita at pinaramdam na kahit ano mangyari, lalaban kami para sa UST,” said assistant coach Yani Fernandez.
Angge Poyos and Reg Jurado, the league’s top two spikers, were efficient against UP, while rookie Julia Balingit and Jonna Perdido also made their presence felt in a match that mattered for the Season 86 runner-ups to prove they are still very much in the Final Four conversation. Libero Detdet Pepito and setter Cassie Carballo are determined to shake off the struggles that hounded them early in the tournament.
In the 1 p.m. curtain-raiser, Ateneo de Manila University and University of the East will try to enter the win column. This marks the first showdown between teams sporting identical 0-6 records to end the first round since Season 79 (2017), when the Lady Falcons and Lady Warriors battled to close their respective skids.
In the men’s division, FEU aims for a seven-match sweep of the first round against UST, which has won five straight after an opening-weekend loss to NU, in the 11 a.m. showdown following Ateneo and UE at 9 a.m.
Undefeated in six matches, the Tamaraws are bracing for what the Golden Spikers will throw at them.
“May one week kami para mag-prepare against UST. Siguro yung match-up, yung tao sa bawat isa, at yung tendencies, siguro dapat focusan namin 'yan,” said FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo, emphasizing the need for consistency as the season reaches its midpoint.
“Siguro from the very start hanggang sa matapos yung serye namin, sana hopefully, ma-control namin yung consistency na 'yan. Yung numbers na divided kung kanino man napupunta yung numbers, ang dami pa dapat linisin eh,” Orcullo added.
Coach Odjie Mamon knows the stakes will be high when the Tamaraws and Golden Spikers collide.
“Siyempre, pag-aaralan ’yan. We have short preparation again. I don’t know if magkakaroon ng different matchup, pero I would say na FEU-UST has been rivals ever since nung naglalaro pa lang ako. Paghahandaan namin 'yan pareho,” Mamon said.