By Joshua Kyle Beltran

Suffering a reverse sweep, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws failed to outlast the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, 25-17, 25-16, 19-25, 21-25, 12-15, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s volleyball tourney earlier today, February 21, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Capitalizing on NU’s early service and attack errors, the Lady Tamaraws came in piping hot to lead by as large as eight in the opening set, 25-17.

Together with Faida Bakanke and Clarisse Loresco’s tight net defense, safety remained off coming into the second frame following a 6-1 blitz, 13-6.

Built on Gerzel Petallo’s timely dives and a team 8-4 frenzy, the Morayta-based squad almost capped off the second set with a double-digit lead, 25-16.

Even with the alternate attacking strides of Petallo, Kyle Pendon, and Ellarina, the Lady Tamaraws still could not cut their consistent seven-point deficit into the third frame, 13-20.

With their hopes of a straight-set victory now gone, the green-and-gold squad’s poor receiving efforts eventually cost them, 19-25.

Despite Pendon’s effort to cut the lead by two, 11-13, a successful net fault challenge by NU immediately crushed FEU’s confidence throughout the fourth set, 12-16.

Trailing by as close as four in the late game, 21-24, a Bakanke service error handed the Lady Bulldogs grounds for a reverse sweep, 21-25. 

With their slight glimmer of hope diminished in the fifth set, the Morayta-based volleybelles eventually surrendered to NU, 12-15.

In a post-game interview with FEU Advocate, green-and-gold team captain Gerzel Petallo pointed out how the team became lax along the shift of momentum coming into the third set.

“Factor din no’n ‘yung nag-shift talaga ‘yung momentum sa kanila [NU]. Siguro rin, nag-relax kami sa part na ‘yun kasi nga, up by two, so siyempre, ‘yung mindset [na] ‘oh, isa na lang’ (The momentum shift was a big factor. We also relaxed, because we were confident that we only needed to win one more set),” Petallo explained.

She also admitted how this loss became an early lesson to always follow through.

“Hindi na kami masyado gumagalaw, hindi kagaya nung first two sets na grabe ‘yung effort… Naging lesson talaga siya sa amin, na hindi dapat mag-relax. Hindi pa tapos ‘yung game—dapat tapusin talaga (We were no longer putting in the same effort unlike the first two sets. It has become a lesson for us that we should always finish what we started),” the opposite hitter said.

Spearheading the scoring department were Petallo with 14 markers and Loresco with 12. Alyzza Devosora and Jaz Ellarina also added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Standing tall at a 1-2 win-loss record, the Lady Tamaraws eye to bounce back as they face Adamson University on March 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

(Photo by James Neil Tamayo/FEU Advocate)