Coming off back-to-back Final Four finishes, Far Eastern University’s UAAP Season 88 collegiate women’s volleyball campaign has been a rollercoaster so far.
The Lady Tamaraws opened with a straight-sets loss to the De La Salle Lady Spikers but bounced back in similar fashion against the UE Lady Warriors.
FEU then seemed poised to stun National University, taking the first two sets last February 21, only to be stunned themselves as the Lady Bulldogs mounted a 17-25, 16-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-12 reverse sweep.
The Lady Tamaraws evened their record to 2-2 with a gritty win over the Adamson Lady Falcons, 22-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-20, on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Amidst the season’s ups and downs, Faida Bakanke believes the team’s togetherness has kept FEU going.
“I’m happy with my teammates because of the things they do,” said an appreciative Bakanke after their win over Adamson.
“We always play with each other, and we don’t want to see someone lack. If you lack, you can move on; we are there to try to push you, and boost your confidence, and motivate you,” she continued.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
The season has been a personal challenge for Bakanke as well.
The Congolese opposite spiker found herself held to just five points on 3-of-29 attacks against La Salle before bouncing back with 11 points against UE. Her performance dipped again against NU, scoring nine points on a 6-of-36 spiking clip.
Then she made a resounding comeback against Adamson, recording 22 points on 17 attacks and five blocks.
Despite her team-best performance against the Lady Falcons, Bakanke emphasized the importance of collective effort.
“I think it’s more about the motivation coming from the coaches kasi sometimes, you don’t need to depend on yourself — you should also depend on your teammates,” said the third-year opposite hitter.
“You should feel what other players feel. Try to share a lot of motivation with your teammates. And it is something that boosts us to be strong. Like today, we are very strong.”
Besides Bakanke, several players contributed to the Lady Tamaraws’ win, led by Alyzza Devosora with 18 points. Jaz Ellarina and Gerzel Petallo added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
With the pieces starting to click and FEU finding its rhythm, the Lady Tamaraws aim to end their see-saw campaign with a second straight win on Wednesday against a winless Ateneo de Manila University side.
