The UP Fighting Maroons against the FEU Lady Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament. Photo from UAAP Media.
MANILA (UPDATED) — The University of the Philippines stunned Far Eastern University for its second straight win in the UAAP Season 87 women's volleyball tournament.
The Fighting Maroons completed an upset of the Lady Tamaraws, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23, during their Wednesday evening faceoff at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan.
This is State U's first victory over the Morayta-based squad since the second round of Season 84 wherein the Maroons swept the Lady Tams, and heading UP's charge was Joan Monares' 19 points with eight receptions.
However, she deflected the credit to her teammates, sharing that it was both their rookies and veterans who allowed the Maroons to bounce back from their defeat in Set 1.
"This season, malaking tulong rin yung sa rookies namin kasi natutulungan rin nila yung team namin umangat," Monares said after the contest. "Although bago sila, we are working sa connection namin inside and outside the court."
UP dominated FEU in the scoring department, 60-48, but for Maroons head coach Benson Bocboc, it is their floor defense that needs to be hailed.
"Sa tingin ko, natural na yun kasi pagdating ko dito, hindi na ako nahirapan," the first-year UP coach commented on his team's efforts on that end.
"Humahabol na sila ng bola at dumedepensa na sila. Yun naman ang nakakatuwa, na talagang wala silang pakielam kung masaktan nila basta makuha nila yung bola. Minsan, nakakalimutan so nire-remind namin sila, pero in general, nakakabalik naman sila agad," he added.
The two squads figured in a close encounter in the first two sets, but the Fighting Maroons banked on their momentum from their Set 2 win to take the third.
And while the Lady Tams sat on a 14-7 advantage in the fourth, this was when Monares and company took charge to will their squad to victory.
Kianne Olango and Nina Ytang helped UP's last-set surge by completing their 17 and 15 points, respectively, and following were Irah Jaboneta (11 points) and Jaz Manguilimotan (17 excellent sets).
Moving forward, Bocboc hopes for the Maroons to sustain this energy as they hope to continue piling up more wins.
"Tignan natin hanggang saan [aabot], pero ang goal namin, dire-diretso lang," he stated.
On the other hand, leaned on Clarisse Loresco and Chenie Tagaod who put up 11 and 10, respectively, but these went for naught as they fell to 1-1 in the team standings.
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