FEU, UST gun for finals berths

Far Eastern University (FEU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) set their sights on a common goal as they collide with separate, equally determined rivals today in Game 2 of the V-League Collegiate Challenge semifinals today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

Both teams are seeking to sweep their respective Final Four opponents and secure spots in the men’s and women’s finals.

For the top-seeded Tamaraws, a win over reigning champions National University (NU) at 5 p.m. would mark their return to the championship round for the first time since the 2017 season of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference.

FEU head coach Edison Orcullo emphasized how significant this achievement would be for the team’s confidence as they prepare for the upcoming season of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

“This is important to us because only the top 2 will qualify for the Spikers’ Turf. We need to secure it,” Orcullo said.

“If we’ll not make it, we will not have any tournament in the second semester and it will hurt our preparation for the UAAP.”

Veterans such as team captain Jelord Talisayan, setter Benny Martinez and ace spiker Dryx Saavedra will lead the charge for FEU, while NU will look to UAAP Most Valuable Player Leo Aringo to force a decider, with strong support from Mac Bandiola and Jan Abanilla.

In the 3 p.m. men’s matchup, the UST Golden Spikers seek to consolidate their Game 1 victory as they face last year’s Finals adversaries, the De La Salle University Green Spikers.

UST’s middle blockers, Paul Colinares and Trevor Valera, will be pivotal in sustaining the team’s momentum, while La Salle seeks revenge with incoming rookie Chris Hernandez, alongside veterans Yong Mendoza and Rui Ventura, to keep their title defense alive.

On the women’s side, UST and FEU also have a chance to close out their respective semifinal series with the former, under the leadership of returning head coach Kungfu Reyes, facing the reigning champion College of Saint Benilde at 12 p.m.

UST assistant coach Yani Fernandez stressed the importance of maintaining their aggressive approach despite leading the series.