by Adrian Murilla
SAN JUAN - FEU Tamaraws shock the NU Bulldogs in straight sets, 25-12, 25-18, 25-17 to get win no. 1 in the UAAP Men's Volleyball opening games today at the Fil Oil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Tamaraws managed to contain the spikers on the other side as they tallied 8 kill blocks compared to 2 of the tall NU team.
Coming off a good off season garnering a bronze finish in the Spikers Turf, gold medal finish in the 19th ASEAN University Games and as the defending champions in the UAAP Men's Volleyball, NU was found nowhere in the game as they commit 32 unforced errors compared to only 9 for FEU.
FEU despite losing key players in the likes of their libero Rikko Marmeto, Jerimiah Barrica and Vince Lorenzo fill in the position well in their game today led by their veteran starting line up. While NU, losing its starting setter, Kim Dayandante in the last minute and graduated open spiker Fauzi Ismail, struggles to adjust in their opening match.
Agility, superb floor and net defense and equally distributed sets has been the main gun of FEU all throughout the match. On the other hand, NU having two rookies in their starting line up- Joshua Retamar and Angelo Almendras, struggles in their first ball, defensive pattern and the jelling from their rookie setter.
Last year's Finals MVP Bryan Bagunas carried the load for the Bulldogs with 15 points while FEU came on top with their team captain Richard Solis with 9 points together the Best Player of the Game- Owen Suarez having 5 points and 22 excellent sets.
FEU (1-0) will next face the UP Fighting Maroons (0-1) on February 20, 10 a.m., while NU (0-1) will be having a one-week break before February 23 wherein they will face the UE Red Warriors (1-0) who break its 20-game losing skid in their opening game also today. Both games will be live at the Fil Oil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
THE SCORES:
FEU (3)- Solis 9, Garcia 8, Bugaoan 8, Quiel 7, Paler 5, Suarez 5, Calado 1, De Asis 0, Silang 0, Padon 0, Barrica (L), Lorenzo (L)
NU (0)- Bagunas 15, Almendras 6, Natividad 4, Saura 4, Malabunga 4, Gampong 3, Ancheta 2, Mondero 0, Marcos (L)
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