FAR Eastern University (FEU) finally ended a nine-year finals drought as the Lady Tamaraws sent the Ateneo de Manila Lady Eagles out of the championship round for the first time in seven seasons, winning in four sets, 25-20, 25-21, 14-25, 25-19, in their Final Four showdown in Season 80 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Bernadeth Pons, a Most Valuable Player candidate, fulfilled her promise of bringing the Lady Tams closer to bagging their elusive 30th title, scoring 17 crucial points, including 19 receptions and 16 digs.
“Of course, expect me to give my all. I’ll be all out because this is my last year, last chance,” Pons said. “We already got our goal in making it to the Finals, one more, and our next goal is to become champions.”
Toni Rose Basas also finished with 17 hits on 12 spikes, three service aces and two blocks. The season’s top blocker Celine Domingo and Heather Guino-o chipped in eight and seven markers, respectively, while playmaker Kyle Negrito, who nailed the game-winning block on Ateneo’s Jho Maraguinot, made 28 excellent sets on top of six points.
“I’m speechless. We worked hard for this. We planned, our players communicated well and we sacrificed a lot of things just to reach the Finals,” FEU Head Coach George Pascua said.
But for Pascua, they are not yet done as they face the winner of the other Final Four match between the twice-to-beat De La Salle and No.4 National University on Sunday.
“We want to bring back the crown to Morayta,” he said.
Not thinking of their twice-to-beat advantage, the Lady Tams showed no mercy taking a commanding two-set lead. But the Lady Eagles flaunted their ‘heartstrong’ mantra, forcing FEU to commit 41 errors in the game, building a 21-11 lead on towards forcing another set.
Ateneo brought its momentum in the fourth with a precarious 11-9 cushion but FEU regained its confidence with six straight markers for a 15-11 lead and extended it to a commanding 24-16 spread.
The Lady Eagles scored three more points to cut FEU’s lead to 24-19 until Negrito denied the graduating Maraguinot’s attack, with it Ateneo’s seventh straight Finals hopes.
Ateneo only had 35 excellent attacks with Maraguinot and Kat Tolentino leading the way scoring 11 points each. Bea de Leon and Jules Samonte contributed seven markers apiece, while skipper Maddie Madayag was limited to six.
Four-time Most Valuable Player Marck Jesus Espejo, meanwhile, unleashed a league-record 55 points to keep the Ateneo Blue Eagles alive after completing a comeback from a 1-2 set deficit over the twice-to-beat FEU in five sets, 18-25, 25-13, 24-26, 25-23, 15-9.
Down two sets to one, the graduating star refused to end his amazing five-year collegiate career with a Final Four exit as he nailed 55 of the Blue Eagles’ 107 points.
Espejo took charge in the fourth set unloading 15 points to force a deciding set, where he scored 11 of their 15 fifth-set points to force a rubber match on Wednesday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
“I just thought that it wouldn’t be my last game. There is still training tomorrow (Sunday),” said Espejo, who scored 47 kills, six blocks and two service aces. “And I want my last year to be memorable and I offer this to my teammates that when we graduate, they will continue the tradition.”
Ateneo Head Coach Oliver Almadro was so proud of Espejo’s one-of-a-kind performance that overcame their 34 errors and 1-2 set deficit.
“Well, Marck is a monster. I mean, he’s their defense. He struggled a little bit with his serve but when it mattered he made the points,” Almadro said. “That’s what I’m telling my players, you have to make a point when it matters. Fifty-five doesn’t matter if you don’t make it at the right time. So he made it at the right time, the maturity is there.”