Chef on a Diet-FEU displayed great composure in overcoming a 0-2 deficit against PGJC-Navy, taking a 21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-19, 15-12 reverse sweep in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference at the Paco Arena in Manila on Sunday.
In the final set, with the score at 12-10 in favor of the Tamaraws, Jerold Talisayan stepped up and contributed two crucial points in a three-to-nothing spurt against the Sealions.
Christian Marcelino managed to stop Navy’s slide with a block point, but Lirick Mendoza quickly followed with a kill. An attack error from Joeven Dela Vega put the Morayta-bred spikers at match point, 14-11. Talisayan later committed a service error, but Dryx Saavedra sealed the game with a powerful kill.
FEU head coach Eddieson Orcullo commented, “Nakita namin yung maturity ng bawat isa. Siguro baka kailangan lang panghawakan namin yung moment na syempre kapag lumalamang yung kabila, ‘di mo pwedeng bitawan.
“Tapos bago pa magsimula yung game, ang napag-usapan namin ready kami sa worst katulad niyan down na kami ng dalawa, lamang pa sila nung third set. Siguro naging ready lang kami doon sa worst na mangyayari,” he added.
Saavedra and Talisayan were also instrumental in the extended third set that allowed FEU to push the game into a fourth set. In the fourth set, the Tamaraws unleashed a 7-1 run, turning an 18-all tie into a 25-19 victory, leading to the fifth and final set.
Ariel Cacao orchestrated the Tamaraws, who improved to 1-0 in Pool D, with a total of 29 excellent sets during the match. Meanwhile, the Sealions slipped to 0-1.
FEU will face Bay Leaf Hotels-LPU on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., while Navy will compete against EAC-Xentro Mall on November 5 at 5:00 p.m., at the same venue.
