MANILA, Philippines – The Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws have already pushed the Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles to the limit twice in the UAAP Season 79 women's volleyball tournament, and they hope to do so again when they meet in the Final 4.
Ateneo won both of its matches against FEU in the elimination round, but the Lady Eagles had to battle for every point as the Lady Tamaraws dragged them to five sets each time.
As the No. 1 seed for the third straight season, the Lady Eagles will have a twice-to-beat edge against the Lady Tamaraws in the semifinals.
Statistical comparison:
Season review:
The Ateneo Lady Eagles were expected to still contend in the UAAP Season 79, but following the graduation of superstar Alyssa Valdez, very few thought they would make it all the way to the No. 1 seed at the end of the elimination round.
With setter Jia Morado pulling the strings, the Lady Eagles unleashed a balanced offense that surprised the league. The highlight of their elimination round campaign was an eight-match winning streak bookended by losses to National University (NU).
Ateneo clinched the No. 1 seed in their final game of the second round, when they bucked a horrendous start and the absence of top scorer Jho Maraguinot to stun La Salle for the second time in the season.
Meanwhile, FEU was one of the teams expected to contend not just for a Final 4 spot, but for a championship. The Lady Tamaraws' roster was nearly intact, with setter Gyzelle Sy as the lone player who graduated from last season's team.
However, the Lady Tamaraws floundered through an up-and-down elimination round campaign. A poor stretch in the middle of the season, when they lost four of five matches, put their Final 4 hopes in danger.
The Lady Tamaraws showed their resiliency, however, by winning the last three games of the elimination round, including crucial victories over NU and University of the Philippines.
Elimination round history:
Round 1, February 12, 2017
Ateneo beats FEU, 25-19, 24-26, 19-25, 25-16, 15-11
The Lady Eagles recovered from a 1-2 deficit to stun the more favored Lady Tamaraws in their first encounter of the season. Michelle Morente had a "triple-double" in the win, but it was Kim Gequillana who earned Player of the Game honors after coming through with nine points off the bench, including the match-winning service ace. Bernadeth Pons led the Lady Tamaraws with 18 points.
Ateneo beats FEU, 25-20, 25-22, 17-25, 21-25, 15-8
This time around, the Lady Tamaraws recovered from a two-set deficit to force a deciding fifth, as Pons conspired with Toni Roses Basas in an incredible rally. However, unforced errors doomed FEU in the final frame, with Ateneo's last five points coming off the Lady Tamaraws' own mistakes. Pons finished with 19 points, but Jho Maraguinot came through with a season-high 23 markers for the Lady Eagles.
What they said:
"We're going to prepare like we always do. First round and second round, five sets pareho, and we're not going to deny that FEU is a really strong team. We'll just do our part in preparing for them." – Ateneo captain Jia Morado
"It's all or nothing na. Kung ito na lang 'yung game na ibibigay sa akin, ibibigay ko na lahat. Lagi kong iniisip na huling laro ko na ito, so lahat, ibibigay ko. Yung preparation, laging andyan naman yan, tina-trabaho naman namin sa training, so kailangan mag-perform kami sa actual game." – FEU captain Remy Palma.
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