Digging deep once more, the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws earned their third straight win of the UAAP Season 81 Women’s Volleyball tournament, surviving the Adamson University Lady Falcons, 25-18, 17-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-8 at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
After throwing away the fourth frame, FEU took control of the decider, taking an 8-3 lead after two Adamson errors. Graduating middle blocker Joy Dacoron made up for her previous errors, pulling Adamson within two, 8-6, with three consecutive points. Behind Heather Guino-O, Celine Domingo, Kyle Negrito and, Cza Carandang, the Lady Tamaraws regained momentum with a 12-7 cushion. Lycha Ebon finished off Adamson with a spike and a block.
FEU head coach George Pascua emphasized the importance of keeping his players calm and focused through the crucial stretches of the match.
“Sabi ko sa mga players ko, balik lang tayo. Kasi mahirap naman na magre-relax ng ganun-ganun lang,” said Pascua.
FEU open hitter Heather Guino-O scored a season-high 20 points from 17 attacks and three aces. Meanwhile, rookie Lycha Ebon continued to pop, dropping 17 markers.
“‘Yung objective namin is ganoon pa rin. Dapat ‘di kami mawawala sa goal namin. Nakakatawa kasi the more na paganda yung laban, the more nagko-contribute siya. Eto mas nag-develop na sila,” Pascua added.
Eli Soyud topped the Lady Falcons with 14 points, while Dacoron finished with 13 markers.
FEU (4-2) take on the De La Salle University Lady Spikers (4-2) in a rematch of last season’s finals next Sunday. Meanwhile, Adamson (1-4) face the Ateneo De Manila University Lady Eagles (3-1) on Wednesday. Both matches will be played at the FilOil Flying V Centre.
The Scores
FEU (3) – Guino-O 20, Ebon 17, Domingo 14, Carandang 5, Malabanan 5, Negrito 5, Ronquillo 4, Villareal 3, Agudo 0, Cayuna 0, Hernandez 0, Duremdes (L)
AdU (2) – Soyud 14, Dacoron 13, Flora 11, Permentilla 9, Yandoc 3, Perez 2, Genesis 1, Igao 1, Macaslang 1, Ave 0, Infante 0, Ponce (L)
