Far Eastern University’s resounding success in the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Tournament has been fueled by a balanced mix of promising first-year talents — outside hitter Mikko Espartero and libero Vennie Ceballos — working alongside seasoned mainstays such as Dryx Saavedra, Lirick Mendoza, Ariel Cacao, and team captain Jelord Talisayan.
Their collective efforts have allowed the Tamaraws to dominate the eight-team field, leading to FEU’s sixth consecutive Final Four appearance dating back to Season 79.
As the team looks to build momentum heading into the postseason, head coach Eddieson Orcullo has begun experimenting with various lineups — an approach that has brought rookie hitter Amet Bituin into the spotlight.
Bituin made an instant impact in his first start against the Ateneo Blue Eagles last Wednesday. Taking over for Talisayan, he tallied 17 points and helped secure a crucial twice-to-beat advantage for the Tamaraws.
Riding on that momentum, the 20-year-old standout from FEU-Diliman delivered another stellar performance against Adamson, scoring a game-high 13 points on Saturday to push the Tamaraws within striking distance of clinching the top seed in the men’s division.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
While many rookies might crumble under the pressure, Bituin is simply grateful for the opportunity to thrive in one of the most storied programs in UAAP men’s volleyball history — FEU, which holds a league-record 25 titles.
“Para sa akin, sobrang nag-e-enjoy ako sa journey ngayon and sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam na yung napuntahan kong school for college ay sobrang ganda ng samahan at ng supporta hanggang sa program, kaya nage-enjoy ako ng sobra-sobra,” Bituin told Tiebreaker Times.
“Kami kasi bago gawin yung isang bagay, mine-makesure ni coach na inaaral muna namin. Sa training pa lang, sinabihan na ako ni coach [Eddieson Orcullo] and pina-start na ako sa training pa lang. Lahat ng start sa akin, planado kaya pulido rin yung naging resulta.”
Bituin’s emergence could not have come at a better moment, as he continues to build his confidence and rhythm while aiming to redeem the Tamaraws after a disappointing Season 86 campaign. Last year, FEU squandered its twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four and fell short of the Finals following a stunning upset by the UST Golden Spikers.
“Kailangan talaga confident lang ‘eh kasi bago mo magawa yung isang bagay, kung hindi ka masyado confident sa sarili mo, hindi mo siya magagawa ng tama and ng 100-percent. Kailangan yung confidence mo, higitan mo dapat araw-araw hanggang sa makakuha ka ng tamang groove, na kailangan hindi lang sa akin, pero sa lahat namin dito sa FEU heading into the Final Four,” the pride of Magalang, Pampanga shared.
“Sa akin kasi, sobrang laking bagay ng mindsetting at ng disiplina ng sarili, at dapat ready ka lagi sa worst scenario kasi inaaral din namin ‘yon ‘eh. Nag-commit kasi kami sa team namin na kung ano yung role namin, dapat gampanan namin.”
