By Gio Carlo D. Castro

Last September 2018, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws were historically defeated in the Premiere Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference Finals duel against the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Maroons in five thrilling sets of the best-of-three championship series.

Considered as a rematch by spectators, FEU unfortunately fell too short in redeeming their off-season heartbreak against UP in four sets, 18-25, 25-20, 22-25, 20-25, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament, February 20, at the FilOil Flying V Center Arena in San Juan City.

With an opening day victory against the youth-laden National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs, it was still the promising rookie, Lycha Ebon, who led a commanding fight for the Morayta-based squad with a total of 16 points which include 13 spikes, two blocks and an ace.

Jumping to the last frame of the match, UP already pulled off an eight-point advantage upon concluding the match, 16-24, but braveness and back-to-back scores of FEU’s Celine Domingo paved a way to a 4-0 run at 20-24.

However, UP’s veteran Maria Lina Isabel Molde locked in the last point with a hit that landed through the hands of FEU’s blockers, 20-25.

With plenty of mistakes that resulted for Lady Maroons to defeat Lady Tams for the first time since Season 76, head coach George Pascua said that they have a lot of things to change prior to this defeat – specifically on the players’ character.

“Ang babaguhin kasi more on character pero I trust the process naman. Hindi naman ganoon kadali baguhin ‘yun eh (What must be changed is more on character but I trust the process. It is not that easy to change),” he shared.

It was only in the second frame when the Morayta-based squad had their momentum inside the court after registering an 18-9 lead against the pre-season champions; and eventually, the Diliman-based squad took control of the remaining sets.

“Kasi ang nangyari sa amin individual errors. Ibig sabihin may mga bagay na hindi namin kontrolado, so ‘yung diskarte kaya [naming] gawin pero syempre ‘yung execution is nasa player (What happened to us was individual errors. It means there are things that we are not in control of, so the strategy can still be made [by the coaching staff] but of course the execution is with the player),” Pascua admitted.

He then shared more, “Sabi ko nga sa kanila, umpisahan muna nila sa sarili nila – kung ano ba ‘yung intention nila, kung ano ba ‘yung goal nila kasi 34 errors, 14 services aces, so hindi siya makatarungan kumbaga (Like what I said to them, they should start first with themselves – what is their intention, what is really their goal because 34 errors, 14 service aces, so there was like no justice).”

Despite of service errors and net touch violations, the Lady Tamaraws will try to redeem their mistakes and improve their 1-1 win-loss card against the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU) Lady Eagles this coming Sunday, February 24, at the same venue.

(See full album: PVL Collegiate Finals - FEU vs UP)