The FEU Lady Tamaraws celebrate a point against Adamson in the bronze medal match of the 2025 SSL Preseason Unity Cup, November 15, 2025 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum. Handout/Shakey's
MANILA -- Far Eastern University took the bronze medal in the 2025 Shakey's Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup after a four-set triumph over Adamson University on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
The Lady Tamaraws had to overcome a subpar performance in the second set on their way to a 25-22, 17-25, 25-19, 25-20 in the winner-take-all bronze medal match.
The trio of Faida Bakanke, Alyzza Devosora and Jazzlyn Elarina did most of the damage for FEU, scoring 12 points each. Bakanke hammered all of her points from kills.
Setter Tin Ubaldo orchestrated the Lady Tamaraws' balanced scoring, tallying 21 excellent sets that helped the Morayta-based squad punch in 48 attack points.
FEU's second stringers, fielded in the second frame of the tournament using a unique all-to-play format, failed to sustain the momentum built by its starters to snatch the tight opening frame.
Head coach Tina Salak stuck with her experienced pieces in the next two sets to bag the Lady Tamaraws' third straight third-place finish.
"Pinag-usapan namin na kailangan naming ibalik yung sa first set na na-feel namin. Kailangan namin itong bawiin ang momentum kasi sa second set bumaba talaga ang morale. So, ang ginawa namin since marami kaming seniors, naging mentality namin na hindi dapat ganun ang mga next sets namin," said FEU winger Gerz Petallo, who posted five of her eight points in the first set.
The Lady Tamaraws had a scare in the fourth frame after the Lady Falcons closed a three-point gap to just 20-19 after a Frances Mordi kill.
Cla Loresco sparked FEU's 3-0 counterattack with a solid kill block followed by a Bakanke hit. Adamson committed a rotational fault in the next play before Shaina Nitura stopped the Lady Falcons' bleeding with a kill.
But the Lady Tamaraws won't be denied a podium finish as the Lady Falcons shot themselves in the foot with back-to-back errors that ended the two-hour, nine-minute encounter.
"Sobrang laki nito sa amin, although bronze pa rin kami, na-defend namin 'yung bronze. At least di kami naging zero. Sobrang laking bagay ito papuntang UAAP para sa morale ng team," said Petallo.
League ambassador Nitura finished with 18 points off 13 kills, three kill blocks, and two aces to pace the Lady Falcons, who threw away 31 points off errors.
Mordi had 13 markers while Lhouriz Tuddao scored eight for the National Invitationals Cebu Leg winners.