FEU DN Steel vented its frustration on Kondohgumi Hyogo, coming away with an emphatic 25-17, 25-13, 25-18 victory to snap a two-game skid and keep its slim hopes alive in the semifinal round of the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference at the FilOil EcoOil Arena on Sunday.
Superior attacking by the Ultras, combined with the Japanese team’s errors, paved the way for the locals’ dominant win following back-to-back shutout losses to league heavyweights Cignal HD Spikers and Criss Cross King Crunchers, which had stalled their finals bid.
With a 1-2 record, FEU DN Steel must overcome Savouge on Friday and hope either Cignal or Criss Cross does not exceed two wins. In case of ties, team rankings will be determined using the FIVB system.
“Yung nangyayari ngayon, nandito kami sa semis (kahit bata kami), pero kung titignan mo ‘yung labanan, kaya eh. Dapat, laban lang (What's happening now is that we're here in the semifinals (even though we're young), but if you look at the competition, we can do it. We just have to fight),” said FEU-DN Steel head coach Eddieson Orcullo.
"Dapat ilabas lang namin ‘yung talagang natututunan namin. Kanina sa first set, yung error namin walo, ang error ng Japan tatlo, so ibig sabihin napakaraming kailangan pang ayusin sa ginagawa naming (We just need to bring out everything we've learned. Earlier in the first set, we had eight errors, while Japan only had three. That means there's still a lot we need to fix in what we're doing,)" added Orcullo, emphasizing the need for his players to develop maturity on the court.
Unlike the first two sets which the Ultras dominated, they needed a late push in the third frame to complete the sweep in 79 minutes.
Dryx Saavedra led the Ultras with 14 points, including 11 on attacks, as they overwhelmed the Japanese team with power, blocking and athleticism.
Although Kondohgumi Hyogo managed to keep the third set close at 16-18, the Ultras unleashed a 7-2 run fueled by quick plays, and powerful serves from team captain Jelord Talisayan, leaving their opponents scrambling for control
Rookie Amet Bituin hammered the final point on a crosscourt kill.
"Sobrang importante ng panalong ito. Goal pa rin namin ang manalo ng championship (This win is extremely important for us. Our goal is still to win the championship,” said Saavedra, who led FEU’s title romp in the recent V-League Collegiate Challenge. “But we still need to work hard.”
As they prepare for the crucial match against the Spin Doctors, Saavedra emphasized the need to improve team communication and reduce errors.
“Kailangan ma-improve ang communication namin, biglang bumababa ang bola na hindi nakukuha. Saka dapat pag pumalo, talagang pumapatay (We need to improve our communication; sometimes the ball drops unexpectedly, and no one retrieves it. Also, when we attack, it should be decisive),” he added.
Middle blocker Lirick Mendoza added 13 points, while Talisayan had nine points built on three aces that went with 11 excellent receptions.
KondohGumi, the selection of university players from the Hyogo Prefecture, slid to 0-2 after likewise dropping a straight-set loss to Savouge. The Japanese will take on the Cignal HD Spikers on Wednesday.
For the second straight game, Kaito Onomichi led Hyogo with 11 points, while Ryouma Kakimoto added seven points and nine receptions, and Kouma Nakamura got five points in two sets of play.
