‘Be Brave’: FEU Lady Tamaraws raring to exceed goals after clinching Final Four return

MANILA, Philippines – In perhaps its most important win yet in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament, FEU booked the last Final Four berth in shocking fashion, downing league-leading UST in five thrilling sets, 19-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10, on Saturday, April 13.

Once stinking up the standings cellar with a 1-13 record just two years prior, the 29-time women’s volleyball champion Lady Tamaraws rebounded hard, not only clinching the semifinals, but also eliminating Adamson, Ateneo, and UE in one definitive upset of the league-leading Tigresses.

Rookie head coach Manolo Refugia, himself an FEU volleyball standout in his playing days, couldn’t be prouder with his wards embodying the school’s “Be Brave” mantra right when they needed it the most.

“It feels really great because we’ve stayed on course in bringing back the FEU glory days,” he said in Filipino. “Now, we’re back in the Final Four. It feels great, but of course, the job isn’t finished. We’re already here, so we might as well dream higher and higher.”

Despite facing one of the season’s hottest teams – a squad that already had their number in the eliminations’ first round – the Lady Tamaraws still fought back from a 1-2 set deficit, with surging rookie Faida Bakanke fighting back cramps to finish with a game-high 21 points.

Youngsters and veterans alike were on point in the crucial match, as senior spiker Jean Asis scored 6 of FEU’s final 7 points to arrive at a 16-point tally, while star setter Tin Ubaldo steered the offense with 21 excellent sets.

As the youthful Refugia pointed out, the Lady Tamaraws’ job is far from finished with a handful of games left in the eliminations, and Asis is making sure her teammates don’t lose sight of what’s still possible for their squad moving forward.

“That ‘Be Brave’ mantra, that’s what we lean on and we’re proud of it. We know we’re brave even though the opponents are leading, and we will just keep being brave until the end,” she said in Filipino.

“Nothing’s impossible since we just beat the top team today. We can also beat the other teams as long as we stay patient, hardworking, and trusting of one another. Why not?” – Rappler.com