Lady Tams to bank on experience

MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern U will be relying on its championship experience as it braces for a title showdown with University of the Philippines in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Collegiate Conference starting Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

The Lady Tams finished runner-up to absentee National U side here last year with the Morayta-based squad also taking home the silver in the UAAP Season 80 volley wars, giving them needed experience in such title clashes to vie again for a crown.

That can’t be said for the Diliman-based squad, whose best finish in a high-level tournament was a Final Four stint in the UAAP three years ago.

“That’s a big advantage that our players have – the experience – whereas it’s UP’s first time (to make it to the finals),” said FEU coach George Pascua. “But we can’t be too complacent because it all boils down to the character of the players. All of the teams are unpredictable. You don’t know who would win. It would depend on the player’s desire.”

This was Pascua’s same plea after the No. 3 Lady Tamaraws leveled their best-of-three semis series with the No. 2 Tigresses. His charges responded with a 19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 in their rubber match to arrange a title clash with the fourth-ranked Lady Maroons, who stunned top seed Adamson Lady Falcons in their side of the series.