by Kristel Satumbaga
Far Eastern University got back quickly on the winning track with a 25-15, 26-28, 25-22, 25-14 victory over skidding University of Santo Tomas yesterday for solo second in UAAP men’s volleyball at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Still reeling from a four-set defeat against Ateneo that snapped a seven-game winning run, the Tamaraws regained their old form spearheaded by John Paul Bugaoan and Jude Garcia to jumpstart a briefly stalled bid at 8-1.
Bugaoan and Garcia torched the net with smashing plays to combine for 27 kills and finish with 18 and 17 points as FEU’s win inched the Tams a game closer to league leader National University (9-1).
The Tamaraws also took advantage of the Tigers’ lack of aggressiveness particularly in the first set, where UST committed 11 of the team’s 39 errors in that set alone.
Joshua Umandal, Jayvee Sumagaysay and Hernel Corda put up a gallant stand for the Tigers but couldn’t get the Tamaraws to lose sight of their goal.
Meanwhile, La Salle subdued University of the East, 25-21, 25-22, 29-27, for its fourth win in 10 games at fifth.