Defending Shakeys V-League Collegiate Conference Champion, Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws dispatched the pesky NCAA champion, Arellano University Lady Chiefs 25-23, 21-25, 25-21,25-16 in the Shakeys V-League Collegiate Conference at the FilOil Flying V Arena late Sunday afternoon.
Both teams showed their impressive floor defense in the early parts of the first set, exchanging points all throughout. Bernadeth Pons delivered a down the line attack to break the deadlock at 11-10 for the Lady Tamaraws. Afterwards Jerili Malabanan, guest player Jovelyn Gonzaga, and Remy Palma joined Pons in establishing a 16-13 lead after the second technical time out. The Lady Tamaraws were not able to pull away in the set due to late errors down the stretch as CJ Rosario and Shirley Salamagos kept the Chiefs afloat after tying the set at 21 apiece. Pons provided crucial points in closing down the first set with a block to guest player Lilet Mabbayad, giving the Lady Tamaraws a 24-21 match point lead. Arellano’s Angelica Legacion committed a service error to give away the set to FEU.
The Lady Chiefs turned the tables against FEU in the second set with Salamagos delivering a kill for a 16-13 lead in the second technical timeout to create some separation from the Lady Tamaraws, who denied the NCAA champions a taste of the lead in the early goings of the set. Errors did not help the Lady Tamaraws as Carmina Aganon and Menchie Tubiera took charge in keeping FEU at bay, with Tubiera ending the set with a kill for Arellano.
Middle blocker Geneveve Casugod made her V-League debut this conference for FEU, blocking Rosario to tie the score at one-all as the Lady Tamaraws went on a scoring rampage to counter the Lady Chiefs’ rally in the latter part of the set. Casugod delivered a quick hit for a 21-19 FEU lead as Jovelyn Gonzaga and Pons put the finishing touches in taking the set away from the Lady Chiefs.
From there FEU never gave Arellano a chance to gain the lead in the fourth set. The Lady Tamaraws flexed their muscle on attacks as the Lady Chiefs couldn’t find any remedy to the FEU attacks. Gonzaga delivered an off speed shot to put the Lady Tamaraws in the driver’s seat at 17-9, as they never looked back against their opponent.
FEU coach Shaq Delos Santos said he expected a great game from the Lady Chiefs and never underestimated the ability of the Legarda based squad.
“Maganda ang expected namin na game dahil champion sila sa NCAA kaya hindi namin pwede i-underestimate,’’ Delos Santos said.
Delos Santos also lauded the return of Casugod since FEU’s other guest player, former NCAA MVP, Honey Royce Tubino missed the game due to personal reasons.
‘’Siyempre malaking bagay dahil mas maganda ang rotation namin, mas maraming option,’’ Delos Santos added.
Pons top scored the Lady Tamaraws with 21 points while Gonzaga and Palma added 15 and 10 markers apiece.
Dana Henson finished with 11 points while Tubiera and Aganon added nine points each for the Lady Chiefs.
The Lady Chiefs will face the National University Lady Bulldogs on July 25 at 12:45 PM while the Lady Tamaraws next assignment is against the PUP Lady Radicals on the same day at 3:00 PM.
The Scores:
FEU (3) – Pons 21, Gonzaga 15, Palma 10, Basas 5, Casugod 5, Guino-o 5, Malabanan 2, Negrito 1, Cayuna 0, Atienza (L), Duremdes (L)
AU (1) – Henson 11, Aganon 9, Tubiera 9, Salamagos 7, Rosario 5, Prado 1, Mabbayad 1, Calixto 1, Legacion 1, Sagun 1, Ramirez 0, Galang(L), Ibasa(L)
