Far Eastern University’s road to contention in the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament has been anything but smooth.
After an electrifying opening-day win against University of Santo Tomas, the Lady Tamaraws found themselves stumbling, dropping back-to-back matches to University of the Philippines and National University.
With their confidence shaken and a grueling three-game stretch ahead, their season was at a crossroads.
But instead of folding, FEU rose to the challenge.
Little by little, the Lady Tamaraws rediscovered their winning form. They edged out Ateneo de Manila University in a grueling five-set match on Sunday before securing back-to-back wins against University of the East and Adamson University on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
These victories propelled them to solo third place with a 4-2 record.
With this resurgence, FEU feels determined to break free from the Season 86 narrative — that of being merely a dark horse or a team scraping its way into the Final Four.
For third-year spiker Gerz Petallo, the Lady Tamaraws are no longer just challengers to the league’s best; they are now legitimate contenders among the UAAP’s elite, including NU, UST, and De La Salle University.
“Yung akin lang din is we’re a contender na talaga ngayon. Hindi yung dark horse na last season, parang sinasabi nila na sobrang hinog pa kami. Parang nakakasabit lang daw kami sa fourth [place],” said Petallo, who delivered 16 points on 14 attacks and two aces while also tallying 15 excellent receptions and five excellent digs against Adamson.
She emphasized, “Pero ngayon talagang lalaban na kami and we’re gonna showcase our talents and kung ano pinaghihirapan namin sa team.
“Yung every point na ‘yon, sa training, sobrang hirap nun. Kaya pinaghihirapan namin lahat pinagdadaanan ng team. Thankful naman na naging bunga ito na lumalabas na yung consistency na sinasabi natin and hopefully mag-continue pa.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, middle blocker Jean Asis — who contributed 14 points on six attacks, five aces, and three blocks — believes that the team’s early struggles may have actually helped them unlock their true potential.
From finishing near the bottom of the standings in Season 84 to emerging as a dark horse in Season 86’s Final Four, FEU now finds itself in a new position: a legitimate title contender.
For Asis, this realization couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Siguro nakita na namin yung potential talaga ng team, kung ano talaga yung kakayahan namin. Kasi after nung back-to-back losses, parang inisip namin hindi na kami yung team dati. Ibang-iba kwento na ito, ibang kwento, ibang season, ibang mga tao na ito,” the fourth-year middle blocker shared.
She went on, “Inisip namin na may kakayahan yung team, so bakit namin sasayangin yung opportunity na makapag-perform kami nang maayos inside the court and mapakita yung potential namin sa mga tao, and sa kung paano kami maglaro sa loob ng court?”
With expectations rising, assistant coach Manolo Refugia emphasized the need for the Lady Tamaraws to back up their words with action.
He stressed the importance of consistency, from training to game day, especially with a crucial match-up against the defending champion Lady Spikers looming next Saturday to close out their first-round campaign.
“Ayon yung nagiging mindset kasi talagang contender na — kailangan talaga ipakita, hindi lang kailangan sabihin ‘eh. Kailangan trabahuin na talaga para mapatunayan na contender na ang FEU,” Refugia said.
