Daquis tows FEU to V-League finals

Games Sunday

(The Arena, San Juan)

2 p.m. – UST vs Adamson (Battle for 3rd)

4 p.m. – NU vs FEU (Championship)

MANILA, Philippines – Pretty Rachel Daquis came through with her best performance of the season as she keyed Far Eastern U's 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22 victory over a feisty Adamson side to barge into the finals against defending champion National U in the Shakey's V-League Season 11-First Conference at The Arena in San Juan City on Thursday.

The solid-spiking Daquis, loaned along with Jovelyn Gonzaga from the Phl Army to play as reinforcements, turned back the clock and unleashed her season-best 26 kills including 20 on kills on three aces as the Lady Tams completed a 2-1 series victory over the gutsy Lady Falcons.

Daquis mocked Adamson's net defense and eluded the opposing team's blockers with timely precision in a performance that was reminiscent of her college days when she starred for the Morayta-based lady spikers years back.

"She just carried us through in this game," said FEU coach Shaq delos Santos in Filipino referring to Daquis.

Bernadette Pons, Gonzaga, Remy Joy Palma and Genevive Casugod provided the added firepower and scattered 15, 12, 12 and 10 hits, respectively.

FEU thus set up an interesting best-of-three showdown with National U, which swept Santo Tomas in their own semis series to get into the finals first and a crack of repeating as champions, starting on Sunday at the same venue.

Game Two is set May 25 while a decider, if necessary, is on June 1.

Just like in Tuesday's 25-22, 25-23, 26-24 Game Two triumph, FEU appeared headed to close out with another straight-setter by seizing the first two sets.

But Adamson, who rallied in Game One to snatch a 19-25, 22-25, 26-24, 25-15, 15-12 win Sunday, clawed its way back and gallantly took the third set and fought back from two-point deficits to grab a 20-19 lead in the fourth.

Daquis, however, struck hard as FEU took five of the match's last eight points to seal the deal.

Adamson, which was led by Shiela Marie Pineda's 18 and Thai import Pacharee Sangmuang's 17, was relegated to a battle for third place with UST.