MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University booked another UAAP men’s volleyball finals appearance after edging Ateneo in a dramatic five-set encounter, 25-23, 20-25, 16-25, 25-17, 15-12, on Wednesday (May 6) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Tamaraws leaned on a balanced offensive attack, with Dryx Saavedra finishing with 14 points. Lirick Mendoza and Amet Bituin produced 12 points each, while Mikko Espartero chipped in 11 to help fuel the comeback win.
FEU struggled early after taking the opening set, losing the next two frames, but regained momentum in the fourth set to force a winner-take-all fifth set.
In the decider, FEU surged ahead early at 8-3. Ateneo mounted a late comeback, trimming the lead to 12-11 behind the efforts of Emmanuel Okeke and a key block from Amil Pacinio.
However, the Tamaraws held their ground, with Bituin delivering a critical hit to keep FEU ahead before finishing the match with back-to-back attacks.
Libero Vennie Ceballos anchored the defense with 21 receptions and 14 digs, while setter Ariel Cacao orchestrated the offense with 26 excellent sets and added four points.
Okeke powered Ateneo with 24 points, Kennedy Batas scored 15, and Jian Salarzon finished with 12.
FEU now moves on to the finals, awaiting either National University or the University of Santo Tomas.
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