UAAP: Lady Spikers fall to FEU Lady Tamaraws, settle for third place

The run to defend the Beach Volleyball championship ended prematurely for the DLSU Lady Spikers. Ernestine Tiamzon and reserve player Kim Fajardo were defeated by the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 17-21, 15-21, in the semifinals of the UAAP Season 79 Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournament held at the MOA Sands by the Bay.

Coming off three consecutive wins yesterday, the Lady Spikers faced the Lady Tamaraws once more for a spot in the finals against the UST Growling Tigresses. With a three-set victory over FEU yesterday, 21-15, 18-21, 15-12, La Salle managed to negate the twice-to-beat advantage of the Lady Tamaraws and forge a do-or-die showdown.

Win or go home

It was a tight beginning as the first set featured 10 deadlocks. Both teams committed multiple errors, but it wasn’t until FEU managed to pull away that they secured the set, 21-17.

Fajardo managed to draw first blood for the Green-and-White coming into the second set. However, Bernadeth Pons and Kyla Atienza of FEU managed to quickly outscore the Lasallians, 4-1, and take a two point advantage.

It was team captain Ernestine Tiamzon who managed to close the gap for La Salle with two consecutive points coming from a block and a service ace. The crowd witnessed a total of eight deadlocks in what proved to be the deciding set. Numerous DLSU errors gave the Lady Tamaraws an 8-3 run in the latter part which sealed the second set, 21-15, in favor of FEU.

Assistant coach Noel Orcullo explained that fatigue was the main factor as to why they lost in today’s game “I observed yung laro nila kanina, sabi ko na parang di sila makagalaw, at mukhang pagod. So one factor talaga yung fatigue.” Playing and winning all three games yesterday, Tiamzon and Fajardo did not get adequate rest as they failed to triumph over the Lady Tamaraws for a seat in the finals.

As a result, the Lady Spikers end their campaign in third place, earning 10 points for La Salle’s back-to-back UAAP General Championship bid.