Far Eastern University (FEU) and National University (NU) will settle the V-League Collegiate Challenge men’s title in a winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday, Oct. 11. First serve is set for 2 p.m. at the Playtime Filoil Centre.

The Tamaraws kept their crown defense alive Friday, Oct. 9, beating the Bulldogs, 25-22, 25-22, 25-20, in Game 2. FEU is the reigning two-time champion and now has one game left to protect its title.

V-League Finals Recap

NU struck first in the series opener on Wednesday, Oct. 7, handing FEU its first loss of the tournament. The Tamaraws had won all nine of their previous games, going 7-0 in the preliminaries and sweeping the semifinals.

NU opened Game 1 with a commanding 25-14 first set, then survived a marathon 39-37 second set. A 25-22 third set completed the straight-sets victory and put the Bulldogs one win away from the title.

FEU responded in Game 2 with back-to-back 25-22 sets and a 25-20 finish to force the decider. Coach Ferdinand Manalon said the Tamaraws simply returned to the system they lacked in Game 1, and their net defense forced uncharacteristic NU errors.

UAAP Rivalry Stakes

The two programs have met in the UAAP Finals in each of the past two years, and NU won both. The Bulldogs completed a six-peat in May, so FEU now has a chance to turn the tables in a different tournament.

NU is chasing its first V-League championship since 2022. FEU, meanwhile, is going for a third straight V-League crown after rebounding from its first defeat of the tournament.

Players to Watch

Amet Bituin led FEU in Game 2 with 14 points, while Dryx Saavedra added 12 and Charles Absin chipped in 12. Their balanced scoring gave the Tamaraws several ways to attack the Bulldogs.

Mikko Espartero provided a spark off the bench, delivering back-to-back kills for a 19-16 lead in the third set. FEU then closed the match on a 4-0 run after NU trimmed the gap to one point.

For NU, Jade Disquitado had a match-high 17 points, including 15 attacks, and RK Medino added 11 off the bench. Those efforts were not enough, as 18 errors kept the Bulldogs from closing out the series.

Setter Greg Ancheta ran NU’s offense in Game 1 with 23 excellent sets. How well he and the attackers sync up in the decider, and how few errors they commit, could shape the outcome.

Game 3 Details

Game 3 is set for Sunday, Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Playtime Filoil Centre. With the V-League Collegiate Challenge men’s title on the line, the winner-take-all format leaves no margin for error.

For FEU, a win would complete a three-peat after a campaign that began with nine straight victories and one costly setback. For NU, it would end a four-year title drought and add a V-League crown to its UAAP six-peat.

Both sides know each other’s tendencies well after back-to-back UAAP Finals meetings. That history, along with two contrasting results in this series, makes the decider extremely hard to predict.

Winning the V-League Collegiate Challenge would give either team major bragging rights in an already heated rivalry. The stakes will be high when the Tamaraws and Bulldogs take the court one last time.

The series so far suggests another tight contest is likely, with each side having won once. Game 3 will crown the V-League champion.