FEU Tamaraws’ hunger exposes cracks in NU’s championship armor

In a gripping Finals opener that could very well define the arc of UAAP Season 87 Men’s Volleyball, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws delivered a statement win, outlasting the five-peat-seeking National University (NU) Bulldogs in a five-set thriller.

With a 22-25, 25-22, 13-25, 25-22, 15-13 victory, the Tamaraws are now just one win away from claiming the crown—and they’ve made it clear: they want it more.

The Tamaraws weren’t just sharp in execution—they played with urgency and hunger. That desperation was unmistakable in their grit and their refusal to fold, even after losing the first and third sets. 

FEU head coach Eddieson Orcullo didn’t mince his words when explaining what pushed his team over the edge.

“We were hungry,” Orcullo emphasized in Filipino. “That kind of hunger drives you to prepare and push through the toughest moments. We knew we wanted this championship, and we played like it.”

This was more than just coachspeak. Orcullo’s squad backed up his words with an inspired performance. 

Dryx Saavedra led the charge with 25 points, supported by a breakout performance from rookie Amet Bituin, who stepped into the spotlight with 16 markers, four digs, and three receptions. Mikko Espartero added another layer of defense and consistency, tallying 10 points and 26 receptions.

For Bituin, the moment was not too big. “I just wanted to give everything for the team,” he said, reflecting on his first-ever Finals appearance.

For NU, this wasn’t just a loss—it was a wake-up call. The Bulldogs had not dropped a Finals game since Season 79 and entered this matchup riding an eight-game championship winning streak. That run came to a grinding halt at the hands of a team with something to prove.

NU star Buds Buddin, who came off the bench to score 12 points, remained composed despite the stinging defeat.

“It’s tough to lose, but we have to move past it. We know we still have a chance in Game 2, and that’s what we’re focusing on,” he said in Filipino.

The Bulldogs, though momentarily rattled, are far from beaten. After all, they’ve been here before. They had overcome a similar challenge before in the Final Four, they stared down elimination against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Spikers and lived to tell the tale. 

Still, Buddin acknowledged that NU’s collapse had as much to do with themselves as it did with FEU’s rise.

“It came down to discipline. We were already there, but we made too many errors,” he admitted. “We need to play as a team, not as individuals.”

Indeed, 34 unforced errors—many in the most critical stretches of the fifth set—told the story for NU. Their systems broke down, and their usually polished execution faltered under pressure.

As the series shifts to Game 2, the narrative couldn’t be more compelling. FEU is driven by a hunger to reclaim glory, and their youthful energy is peaking at just the right time. NU, on the other hand, is fighting to preserve a dynasty and prove their championship pedigree wasn’t just about momentum—it was about mastery.

Game 1 wasn’t just a volleyball match; it was a gut check. For FEU, it validated their season-long dominance and the depth of their preparation. For NU, it was a painful reminder that no streak is safe and no title is guaranteed. 

The Finals have just begun, but the message is clear: The Tamaraws are done playing the underdogs—and the Bulldogs must now decide whether they still have a heart of a champion.

Game 2 can’t come soon enough.