The FEU Tamaraws overcame the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 29-27, 25-23, 15-25, 25-19, in the UAAP Season 88 Men’s Volleyball Tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, gaining momentum ahead of their Final Four matchup.
In the fourth set, the Tamaraws quickly regained control after dropping the third, building an 18-11 cushion behind Mikko Espartero, Lirick Mendoza, and Dryx Saavedra. The Blue Eagles tried to rally and trimmed the gap to 20-16, but FEU stayed composed, with Amet Bituin, Mendoza, and Luis Miguel combining to seal the win.
“Siguro nag-prepare kami nang maigi ngayon sa last day ng Round 2 ng preliminaries…Magkaintindihan lang dapat kami lagi. Kung ano ’yung gusto natin, tapos kapag hindi tayo nagkaintindihan, medyo may ano tayo doon. Pero hangga’t nagkakaintindihan kami sa kung ano ang gusto naming mangyari, okay,” said Tamaraws head coach Eddieson Orcullo.
“’Yung third set, okay sa akin ’yon. ’Yung adjustment ng nangyari. Maraming salamat kasi ang daming pwedeng i-add or pwedeng bawasan doon sa ginagawa namin,” he added.
Amet Bituin, Dryx Saavedra Shine for FEU
Bituin led the Tamaraws with 21 points and 14 excellent receptions, while Saavedra added 16 points. Espartero chipped in 13 points and 19 excellent receptions, while Mendoza also finished with 11 points.
Team captain Ariel Cacao orchestrated the offense with 24 excellent sets, while libero Vennie Ceballos anchored the defense with 15 excellent receptions and 9 excellent digs.
For the Blue Eagles, Aimar Okeke paced the team with 24 points, while Jian Salarzon added 13 points and 25 excellent receptions. Kennedy Batas also contributed 10 points off the bench.
The Tamaraws and the Blue Eagles will face each other in the postseason, with the Tamaraws holding a twice-to-beat advantage.
