UAAP volleyball: Looking at the FEU's Lady Tams' win over UE
MANILA, Philippines – The FEU Lady Tamaraws opened their UAAP Season 82 women’s volleyball account with a three-set win over UE, 25-9, 25-20. 25-17. It’s a good start to the season because UE is an up-and-down team that has been in dire need of more than a shot in the arm.
FEU’s has players — Gel Cayuna, Nette Villareal, Ria Duremdes and Czar Carandang — who have been in the regular rotation in years past so they know the drill. UE, on the other hand, has lost some huge pieces such as libero Kat Arado. Mary Ann Mendez is the sole player with heavy minutes and she will need her other teammates to grow up in a hurry.
Finally, Cayuna will get to run the show for FEU. When she was a rookie years ago, she showed some promise (and she was able to get on a BaliPure team that won a PVL championship). However, she was inconsistent. I thought that having Kyle Negrito would push each setter to give it their all in search of regular playing time and sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.
She’ll be glad to have Lycha Ebon (as well as Ivana Agudo) back who was tearing up the league last season until her unfortunate knee injury. Ebon seems to be all right and she’ll build on her nine-point performance versus UE.
Ebon along with Cayuna were killers on their services; accounting for eight between themselves. That is more than the entire UE team combined (three). It is a young UE team after all and you have to take it right to them in a test of nerves.
To further make a point between the vast difference between FEU and UE, the former has been in the semi-finals hunt in previous seasons. When playing matches that matter including making the finals two seasons ago, the experience gained from such high intensity games helps. Many of them also suit up in the semi-pro leagues and that adds to their experience.
You have to feel for UE on the other hand. A win here or there to prevent going winless was like a moral victory, but that erodes really quick when you continue to take it on the chin. Unfortunately, until they receive a massive transfusion if talent and support, they will struggle. Head coach Karl Dimaculangan hopes to bring up a young team together and learn. But they will not have Mendrez for long so the others have to really stand up and be counted.
On Saturday when the Lady Red Warriors take on the University of the Philippines Fighting Lady Maroons, they’ll be playing in black kits for the first time. Let’s see if they can give UP a different look to their game as well.
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