Faida Bakanke led the cavalry as the FEU Lady Tamaraws protected their place in the top-4 of UAAP Season 87 against UP.
Faida Bakanke was the steady presence the FEU Lady Tamaraws needed to claw themselves to a four-set victory against the UP Fighting Maroons in their second round encounter in UAAP Season 87 on Sunday.
Eager to make up for their first round loss against UP, Bakanke powered the Morayta-based squad from being down 16-20 in the fourth set, even as the team also squandered a huge 12-3 lead at the start the decider.
[RELATED: FEU frustrates UP to keep hold of top-4 spot, NU officially enters UAAP Final Four]
After the game, Bakanke looked back on her motivations to produce offense for the team.
“It wasn’t easy. I was thinking [of] the first round when we lost to UP,” said Bakanke.
“So it’s my motivation to bring back [FEU] again [against] UP to show who I am, to show who we are. WE cannot [lose to UP again],” she added.
True enough, Bakanke was the driving force behind the Lady Tams’ offense, along with the likes of Chenie Tagaod and Gerz Petallo, when they seized a dominant 2-0 lead against the Fighting Maroons in the match.
But the Lady Tams put their guard down in set 3, where they were dominated by the gutsy Fighting Maroons squad.
Thankfully for Bakanke, and the rest of the team, they were able to make the necessary adjustments and hang on for the victory.
“I wanted to adjust my set and improve my spiking and defense. So I’m so happy… also I’m so happy with my teammates. I cannot do everything. I cannot spike, I cannot defend [on my own]. They’re always there to push me to be happy and enjoy,” she said.
As for how they’re facing the rest of the elimination round against their last three opponents, the Lady Tams are determined to achieve more, especially after a strong Final Four performance last season.
“We’re very confident talaga, very confident with myself and with my teammates,” said Bakanke.
“Now, we should focus on our game, not to give up. We need to be there and stay focused. This is [for the] gold. This is how we would achieve it. We are ready talaga. Happy ako [to play with] determination this second [round],” she continued.
FEU faces off with Ateneo next in the upcoming game on Wednesday, April 9, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.