FEU Tamaraws huddle during Game 3 of the UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball Finals against NU Bulldogs.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Almost but not quite as the 26th championship remained elusive for Far Eastern University as it failed to topple National University’s dynasty in a record-breaking UAAP Season 87 men’s volleyball Finals series.
After stealing Game 1, FEU was seven points away from ending a 13-year title drought in Game 2 last Wednesday, taking an 8-5 lead in the fifth set. However, their errors and the composure of NU pushed the series to a winner-take-all.
READ: UAAP Finals: NU Bulldogs fulfill ‘five-peat’ dream, overcome FEU
FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo, Mikko Espartero and Dryx Saavedra after losing the championship. #UAAPSeason87 @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/tgcGdzjhED
— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 17, 2025
In Game 3, the Tamaraws were outlasted by the Bulldogs, absorbing a 16-25, 26-28, 23-25 defeat before a record-setting 14,517 crowd on Saturday at Mall of Asia Arena.
After getting dominated in the opening set, the Tams were a point away from equalizing Game 3 with several set-point advantages in the second set only to falter in the end. FEU also allowed NU to pull off another rally in the third to seal the five-peat.
In their best season, FEU coach Eddieson Orcullo said the setback means they need to work harder for them to reach the gold standard of men’s volleyball over the past decade.
“Well, that’s how it goes sometimes. If you don’t get what you want, like we said before maybe next time we just need to double our effort,” said Orcullo in Filipino. “We coaches will regroup with the players and come up with new plans. We’ll see what happens in the next few months as we prepare for the next season.”
Dryx Saavedra, who averaged 24.3 points in the series, admitted their slow start took a toll on them in Game 3 as they got swept after a pair of thrilling five-setters.
READ: UAAP: FEU’s Mikko Espartero holds head high after finals loss, backlash
“We weren’t really shocked, but I think one of our weaknesses was that we weren’t aggressive enough from the start,” said Saavedra, who scored 24 points.
“When the opponent gets ahead early, it’s really hard to catch up. Even though we managed to close the gap at times, we still fell short. So that’s something we need to fix: don’t let the score slip too far early on.”
It was tough to squander an opportunity to bring back the long-lost glory of FEU, but Saavedra remained gracious in defeat, charging this heartbreak to experience to prepare himself for next season, in case he decides to play one more year.
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“This whole experience is really valuable. Now I know what it’s like to be in the Finals, it’s so different from the elimination round. This will help me a lot. Next season, I’ll be more prepared mentally and physically when we reach this stage again,” said Saavedra, who will take his time before deciding on what’s next for him.
“I’m super proud of everyone on the team. This finals appearance really meant a lot to us because more than half of our team are rookies. So it’s a good thing that we got this kind of experience early. Now it’s time to rest, then get back to work.”
