Rolling FEU rises to 2nd in UAAP women’s volley, sends UE to brink

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Role players Jaz Ellarina and Karyll Miranda make the most of their extended opportunities under the watchful eye of volleyball legend Tina Salak as FEU blanks winless UE in a close affair

MANILA, Philippines – The race for second place remains heated in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament as the FEU Lady Tamaraws expectedly took care of business with a 25-20, 25-20, 25-23 sweep of the winless UE Lady Warriors at the FilOil EcoOil Centre on Wednesday, March 26.

With the win, FEU rose to a momentary hold of No. 2 with a 6-3 record, as idle UST and La Salle remain in joint third at 5-3 ahead of their blockbuster clash on Saturday, March 29. UE, meanwhile, now teeters on the brink of elimination for yet another season with a 0-9 card.

Jaz Ellarina had her best game yet in the seniors division with a career-high 17 points off 12 attacks, 3 aces, and 2 blocks, while usual stars Chen Tagaod and Gerzel Petallo scored 15 apiece.

The spotlight also turned to backup playmaker Karyll Miranda, who took over captain Tine Ubaldo’s minutes and made the most of her opportunity with 17 excellent sets.

After dictating the tempo with an opening-set blowout only made closer with a failed late UE rally, the Lady Tamaraws actually faced an uphill climb in the second frame, going down 11-7 off an early Lady Warriors surge led as usual by Khy Cepada and Van Bangayan.

As contenders are expected to do, however, FEU rallied just in the nick of time, reversing game flow with a pivotal 11-3 fightback for the 18-14 separation off a Tagaod hit that capped off the match’s longest rally, and carried momentum towards another 25-20 finish.

The two sides essentially wrote the same script in the third with a more dramatic ending, as the Lady Tamaraws rose from a 13-8 hole with an 11-4 surge to flip into a 19-17 separation off a Cepada error.

Though UE continued to threaten an extension by leading late, 21-20, FEU stayed composed in the clutch, taking turns scoring as Petallo and Tagaod wrapped a bow on the match with consecutive attacks for the razor-thin 25-23 finale and forged a tie in the scoreboard.

Cepada paced another sorry loss with 13 points, 11 digs, and 8 excellent receptions, backstopped by 10 markers from Bangayan. – Rappler.com