UAAP volleyball: FEU nears Final Four bid after edging Ateneo
FEU Lady Tamaraws, paced by Tin Ubaldo, in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Tin Ubaldo effectively orchestrated Far Eastern University’s unyielding offense in a gripping 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-22 win over Ateneo on Thursday night at the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament.
Ubaldo accounted for 26 excellent sets that armed hitters Faida Bakanke, Chenie Tagaod and Gerzel Petallo in battering the Blue Eagles’ lair on their way to picking up a fifth victory after nine outings.
“We were able to execute the things we trained for during the break,’’ said Ubaldo, who added five points and two aces in the come-from-behind triumph.
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 86 volleyball second round
The Lady Tamaraws’ success at the Mall of Asia Arena rewarded the La Salle Lady Spikers and the National University Lady Bulldogs a free ride to the Final Four outright.
The Lady Spikers are running second with an 8-1 record while the Lady Bulldogs are 8-2.
With the Ateneo setback, the Blue Eagles’ seventh in 10 games, no other team can go over seven wins except for the Lady Tamaraws.
FEU Lady Tamaraws’
Faida Bakanke. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
“But the discussion doesn’t stop here. We still have to beat the other teams, we can’t afford to be complacent,’’ said FEU coach Manolo Refugia in their bid to enter the semifinals since Season 80.
UAAP volleyball: Faida Bakanke poised to be x-factor for FEU
Faida fired a career-high 16 points, highlighted by 15 kills, while Tagaod also had 16 and Petallo contributed 15 attacks, 14 digs and two blocks.
After putting themselves on equal footing, the Lady Tamaraws gained advantage in the third set with Petallo and Floriza Papa doing a splendid job.
Papa unloaded two successive attacks that ushered them closer before Petallo sealed the set with an off-the-block strike.
Trailing early in the fourth set, the Lady Tamaraws charged ahead as Tagaod knotted the count at 19 with a crosscourt hit followed by Ateneo’s attack error.
Tagaod punched a down-the-line kill, Jean Asis scored on a push and Tagaod sneaked in another crosscourt that put them way ahead, 23-20, before errors again hounded the Blue Eagles.
Lyann De Guzman had 15 points on top of four aces, 17 digs and eight receptions for the Blue Eagles while Sophie Buena added 14 attacks. Roma Mae Doromal had 24 receptions and 16 digs.
