After subpar performances in her first two games in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament, Faida Bakanke teased what she could become for Far Eastern University as she breached double digits in scoring for the first time.
The 6-foot opposite spiker delivered the crucial hits to push the Lady Tamaraws over the UE Lady Warriors in five sets, 22-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 15-11, on Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
With FEU ahead 12-11 in the do-or-die frame, the lefty Bakanke capitalized on the crosscourt angle. She hammered one home before Chen Tagaod added another point with a kill of her own.
Then the Lady Tamaraws went to the Congolese student-athlete anew, drilling another crosscourt spike for the hard-earned victory.
“Thank you to my teammates and coaches because they gave me the confidence to do well,” said Bakanke after dropping 14 points.
“Coach said to me, ‘Welcome to the UAAP’,” she recalled.
In their opening game victory against University of the Philippines, as well as in their loss to defending champion De La Salle University, Bakanke was held to six points on both occasions despite being a starter.
Head coach Manolo Refugia revealed that to give her foreign player the much-needed gas to finally show her potential, it took a lot of communication with an emphasis on being calm while talking to her.
“Walang hanggang paguusap lagi kay Faida since foreign student-athlete siya. Hindi naman siya yung tipo na bata na pag sinigawan mo talagang babalik agad, kumbaga yung treatment pa rin mahinahon,” said Refugia, who took over the program after former head coach Tina Salak moved on to a consultant role.
“Laging kakausapin dapat siya kaya siguro naboost ulit yung confidence niya na talagang nasa isip niya lagi, ‘I will make bawi coach I promise I will make bawi’,” he shared.
That worked wonders as with the rise of Bakanke along with Gerzel Petallo, Tagaod, and Tin Ubaldo delivering, the Lady Tamaraws are in a tie for second seed early in the tournament with a 2-1 record.
They also survived the rampage by UE rookie Casiey Dongallo, who unloaded 30 points on them – a new UAAP women’s record for most points by a rookie in a single game, surpassing Angel Canino’s 28 last year.
