Top-ranked Far Eastern University made sure history wouldn’t repeat itself — this time, they didn’t even need their twice-to-beat advantage.
Ousted in the Final Four last season despite being the No. 1 seed, the Tamaraws exorcised that ghost by eliminating the De La Salle Green Spikers in just one game.
FEU shrugged off a first-set hiccup to pull off a 24-26, 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 win and punch their ticket to the UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball Finals on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws will be making their first Finals appearance since Season 81 and now await the winner of the do-or-die showdown between National University and University of Santo Tomas.
Earlier in the day, UST forced a deciding match after defeating NU in four sets.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Masaya sobra kasi nakuha namin yung isang slot para sa Finals — yun ang pinaka-importante sa lahat. Yung kasiyahan, alam mo, kailangan balansehin mo maigi kasi hindi pa tapos, may game pa tayo,” said FEU head coach Eddieson Orcullo, who burst into the media room still brimming with energy after the win.
“Kaya bukas o siguro mamaya pa lang, paghandaan na namin yung gagawin doon sa dalawang team kung sino man aakyat sa kanila.”
With the match tied at one set apiece, La Salle tried to wrest back momentum in the third, jumping to a 13-9 lead. But the Tamaraws had other plans.
Spearheaded by Dryx Saavedra, Mikko Espartero, and Doula Ndongala, FEU unleashed a 10-3 blitz to seize a 19-16 lead. They never looked back from there, taking the third set 25-19 to move within a frame of a Finals berth.
Then, in the fourth, the Tamaraws powered through a 17-all deadlock with a decisive closing run. Saavedra, Espartero, and Lirick Mendoza joined forces while the Green Spikers faltered with three costly errors, allowing FEU to clinch the set, 25-20, and secure the first Finals slot.
FEU is eyeing a record-extending 26th men’s volleyball title, their first since Season 74 (2012).
“I am very emotional for this game because FEU did not qualify to the Finals for a long time. Today we finally did,” said Congolese middle blocker Doula Ndongala, who had a career-best performance with 17 points built on 12 spikes, four blocks, and an ace.
Ariel Cacao orchestrated the Tamaraws’ offense with 31 excellent sets, enabling a well-balanced scoring effort. Espartero also tallied 17 points and added 15 excellent receptions, while Mendoza delivered 14 points, including nine attacks and five blocks.
Saavedra and Amet Bituin chipped in 11 points each in the win, which lasted one hour and 54 minutes.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, La Salle settled for fourth place for the third straight season.
Graduating Green Spikers Noel Kampton, Vince Maglinao, Menard Guerrero, Gene Poquita, and Nathaniel Del Pilar played their final game in the green-and-white.
Kampton closed his UAAP career with 19 points and 19 excellent receptions, while Rui Ventura contributed 17 points in the losing effort.
