Far Eastern University pulled off a thrilling comeback to keep their championship hopes alive in the V-League Women’s Collegiate Finals, overcoming University of Sto. Tomas in a five-set nail-biter, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 17-15, at the Philsports Arena on Wednesday.
The match was packed with drama, but the defining moment came late in the fifth set. With UST up 14-13, the Golden Tigresses' setter Cassie Carballo executed a 1-2 play that seemed to secure the championship for UST, triggering an early celebration as confetti rained down from the rafters. At the other side of the court, Lady Tamaraws setter Tin Ubaldo collapsed to the floor in frustration, convinced that their title chances had just slipped away.
“‘Nung sumabog ‘yung confetti, ‘di ko kasi nakita na nag-challenge, pero super hinayang nung time na ‘yun,” Ubaldo recalled. FEU, however, had lodged a challenge, claiming a net touch by Carballo on her potential match-winning play.
What followed was a tense 10-minute wait as the referees reviewed the call. Ubaldo, still on the floor, was helped up by her teammates as they anxiously waited for the official decision. When the challenge was upheld, erasing UST’s match point and resetting the score to 14-all, Ubaldo’s regret gave way to renewed hope.
“‘Nung nabalik ‘yung point, talagang hindi ko binitawan ‘yung chance na binigay sa amin,” Ubaldo said, describing the moment the challenge went in FEU’s favor. She immediately gathered her teammates, some of whom had already begun clearing the confetti from the court, to refocus on the task at hand. “‘Yung huddle namin, talagang parang sa’tin ‘to, chance ‘to, ibig sabihin may chance pa tayong makabawi,” she added.
And they did just that. With the game back in the balance, FEU regrouped and fended off several more UST attempts to close out the match. The Lady Tamaraws displayed nerves of steel in the deciding set, eventually claiming a hard-fought 17-15 win to extend the series to a deciding Game 3.
Ubaldo was instrumental in the victory, finishing with 22 excellent sets, four points, and 10 excellent digs. More importantly, she showed tremendous leadership in the clutch moments. “Sobrang happy kasi talagang pinagtrabahuhan namin ‘yung win na ‘to. Though maraming lapses, ‘yung errors, lahat ng miscues, pero nakabawi pa rin kami,” the 5-foot-8 playmaker shared.
FEU’s triumph not only denied UST a season sweep but also set up a winner-take-all Game 3 for the V-League title.
With momentum now on their side, Ubaldo and the Lady Tamaraws are focused on bringing the same intensity and determination to Friday’s do-or-die match.
“Same mindset, same mentality, we mean business, but less errors, less miscues, polish ng galaw, polish ng communication,” Ubaldo emphasized, determined to finish the series strong.
