FEU Tamaraws in the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball tournament Finals against NU BUlldogs. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball FINALS Game 3 – NU vs FEU
MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University coach Eddieson Orcullo is placing emphasis on a strong start as the Tamaraws get one more crack at ending National University’s dynasty in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball Finals on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Just like in Game 1, FEU fought its way back from a 1-2 match deficit. But this time, the Tamaraws couldn’t complete a comeback as the Bulldogs kept their five-peat dreams alive, 25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 18-25, 15-11, in front of 9,977 fans.
READ: UAAP: NU spoils FEU’s title plans as finals goes the distance
Orcullo said they can’t always play catch-up, especially against a team like NU.
“It’s tough when they start strong and take the lead. You fall behind by five or six points, and it’s hard to chase that,” said Orcullo in Filipino.
“That’s our biggest takeaway: if we lose the game, we don’t lose the lesson. We’ll watch the tape, review everything, and work on what needs to be fixed.”
FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Despite finishing the elimination round with the best record at 13-1, Orcullo reminded his squad that they need to rest, reset as they try to end a 13-year title drought.
“We need to be more composed. If you watched the game, we looked a little rattled at times. We need to clean up a few things and settle down. That’s going to be our focus,” he said.
Charles Absin, who had nine points off four blocks, said there are no regrets on their side despite losing Game 2, as they anticipated NU wouldn’t go down without a fight.
“For us, there’s really no regret. We learned a lot from this game, and we’re going to bring those lessons with us on Saturday. Like coach said, ‘Expect the worst.’ That way, we’re ready for anything,” said Absin.
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“They’re gunning for a five-peat, after all. But for us, the lesson is to stay composed. The fight isn’t over yet. There’s still one more game. Right after the match, I told myself, ‘It’s okay. We still have Saturday.’ So now, we go back to work. We’ll go all out in training these next two days and bounce back.”
