By Dwyane Harry L. Cabrera

Dryx Saavedra and Mikko Espartero joined forces to lift the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws past the De La Salle University (DLSU) Green Spikers, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19, in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 men’s volleyball tourney today, February 14, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Saavedra filled up the scoresheet with 16 markers built on 15 attacks and one block, while Espartero added 14 points on 12 attacks, one block, and one ace.

In a 10-all deadlock in the opening set, the Morayta-based squad capitalized on their spikes, creating a 7-1 blitz with Ariel Cacao orchestrating the offense, 17-11.

Riding high on their momentum, FEU capped off a strong start as Espartero’s cross-court strike sealed the first set, 25-19. 

Despite multiple deadlocks in the second set, it was not long until the Tamaraws turned back the tides with another 7-1 run for a 17-13 lead. 

With the Morayta-based squad eager to close the set, it was yet again Espartero that launched another attack that finished the second frame, 25-22.

Banking on their momentum, the green-and-gold squad created an early four-point lead in the third set, 10-6.

However, FEU was not able to fend off the Archers’ slow push that cut the lead to two, 21-19.

Not letting the green-and-white squad halt their momentum, Amet Bituin spearheaded the final part of the game with two consecutive points, ending the match at 25-19.

In the post-game conference, Saavedra expressed how staying calm is a big contributing factor in winning games.

"Lagi naman namin pinag-uusapan sa team na kahit anong situation sa court, kailangan pilitin namin na doon kami sa pinakakalma kami. Big factor kasi talaga ‘yung kalmado lang kami, lalo na ‘pag crucial. Hindi naman puwede na sa crucial, mara-rattle kami (The team always talks about how no matter what the situation in the court is, we have to push ourselves to stay where we are the calmest. Staying calm is a really big factor, especially during crucial moments. We can’t afford to get rattled during crucial parts),” he stated.

On the other hand, Espartero talked about how last season influenced his growth.

“Nung last year kasi, inaamin ko na hindi ako handa sa nangyari, ‘yung championship na biglang bumaliktad. Pero malaking tulong din sa’kin; good thing din kasi na-experience ko ‘yung last year. Naging aral din sa sarili ko na mas maging matibay pa (Last year, I admit that I wasn’t ready for what happened, when the championship suddenly turned around. But it also helped me a lot. It was a good thing for me to experience that last year because it became a lesson for me to become stronger),” he expressed.

Contributing to the scoresheet are Cacao with 17 excellent sets, while Doula Ndongala added another seven composed of five attacks and two blocks.

Starting the season on a positive note with a 1-0 win-loss record, the Tamaraws will look to build their streak against University of the East on Wednesday, February 18, at the University of Santo Tomas Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

(Photo by Melvin James Urubio/FEU Advocate)