UAAP: FEU survives Ateneo behind ‘total team effort’ in women’s volleyball

MANILA, Philippines–Far Eastern University collapsed before defeating Ateneo, 25-12, 15-25, 19-25, 25-15, 18-16, on Wednesday in UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Jovelyn Fernandez had 18 points built on 15 attacks and Alyzza Devosora posted 11 points for the Lady Tamaraws, who came through with a defensive ploy that fended off the competition when it mattered most.

Freshman Mitzi Panangin posted 11 marks and three blocks and Christine Ubaldo added a remarkable 22 sets, but it was the efforts of libero Margarett Encarnacion to deny Ateneo at the net with her impressive 35 digs that proved critical.

“I’m thankful for the freshmen, they stepped up for the team. I didn’t expect it, so I’m very proud of what they showed,” FEU coach Tina Salak said after the Lady Tamaraws won for the second time in four games.

The Lady Tamaraws, who snapped a string of setbacks against Ateneo since 2019, secured the opening set and surrendered the next two frames before forcing a decider after the fourth round.

“It was a total team effort. We’re still fighting, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement,” Salak said.

Faith Nisperos had 20 attacks of 21 points while Vanessa Gandler scored 13 markers, had 16 good digs and 12 receptions for the Blue Eagles, who lost to rival La Salle to absorb their second straight loss, the third overall in four matches.

Ateneo actually came back from 4-1 and scored in seven, leading to a long exchange in the fifth set that ended with Fernandez’s attack and game block by rookie Gerzel Petallo in the final of Alexis Miner.

The Lady Tamaraws got their A game going early after taking the first set before the Blue Eagles came back with a comeback early in the next frame and eventually leveled.

Lyann De Guzman kept Ateneo at bay as much as possible from the Tamaraws with a flurry of attacks down the middle in the second frame.

Cherie Tagaod fought back to put FEU closer, 21-15, after climbing from a nine-point deficit, but Gandler capped the Blue Eagles with a pair of kills and Tagaod served on match point.

The narrative barely changed as Ateneo started again determined to put away their opponents in quick fashion, 18-9.

The Miners took the cudgels for the Blue Eagles by scoring three straight points after FEU cut the gap to five. Gandler closed out the set with a reverse spike.

Pushed at a weak point, the Lady Tamaraws wriggled their way out to equalize and drag the match into the final set.

When Ateneo got closer to six, 20-16, Panangin went into attack mode, his twin kills plus errors at the other end opened the way for Devosora’s match point.

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