HEAD COACH: Tina Salak
LAST SEASON: 8-5 (4th)
LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: Season 87 (2024-25)
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Season 70 (2007-08)
CHAMPIONSHIPS: 29
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IN what felt like a blink, Far Eastern University flipped its fortunes.
From a lone win in one season, the Lady Tamaraws surged to back-to-back campaigns that left them just one victory short of the finals.
After riding the high of a runner-up finish in UAAP Season 80, FEU struggled to regain its footing when league play resumed post-pandemic.
Under veteran coach George Pascua in Season 84, the Morayta side failed to rediscover the rhythm that once made it a perennial threat.
That changed when Lady Tamaraws icon Tina Salak returned, this time on the sidelines.
The former green-and-gold playmaking icon sparked the program’s revival, steering her alma mater from last place to fifth with six wins in one season.
A brief coaching transition followed, with fellow former Tamaraw Manolo Refugia taking the reins for a year and pushing FEU further upward with nine wins and a long-awaited Final Four berth.
When Salak reclaimed the helm, the result was familiar: another Salak-led run, another semifinal clash with National U, and another heartbreak that stopped the Lady Tamaraws one step short of the championship round.
Two years. Two near-misses.
Now, with key scorers Jean Asis and Chenie Tagaod gone, the question looms: is there still enough fuel in the tank to finally break through?
Built to contend, not just compete
It’s fair to argue that circumstance played a role in FEU’s recent exits.
A different seeding, a different semifinal opponent and the Lady Tamaraws might already have multiple finals appearances to show for their resurgence.
But the reality remains: FEU earned those paths and those matchups across 14-game elimination slates.
What that proves more than anything is that Salak has molded a team capable of sustaining relevance deep into the season.
And while the title conversation often revolves around the dynastic Lady Bulldogs or perennial powers La Salle and University of Santo Tomas, the Lady Tamaraws have quietly made themselves impossible to ignore.
The departures of Asis and Tagaod sting, but their cupboard is far from bare.
Emerging wing scorer Gerz Petallo has already shown she can shoulder offensive responsibility, headlining FEU’s bronze medal run in the Shakey’s Super League Preseason Unity Cup.
Surrounding her is a deep, battle-tested cast: national team middle Cla Loresco, Tin Ubaldo, Faida Bakanke, Jaz Ellarina, Lovely Lopez, Melody Pons, and others who know Salak’s system and the demands of high-stakes volleyball.
The pieces are still there. The question is timing.
Wide open door for FEU to charge into
With National U entering a new era without Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon, the landscape has shifted.
The once-daunting summit suddenly feels more accessible.
For the Lady Tamaraws, that shift removes both a barrier and an excuse.
They are no longer a feel-good comeback story or a plucky Final Four regular, as they’ve now reached a stage where anything less than another deep run would raise eyebrows.
They’ve proven they can get close. Now, they must prove they can be brave.
A third straight season knocking on the door demands more than patience, as it also demands conviction: an all-in push that turns near-misses into history.
If FEU truly wants to reclaim its place among the elite, the time to stop circling the summit is now to bring home that record 30th championship.
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Read up on what to expect from the other teams in UAAP Season 88 here:
UE UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Is there anything to look forward to for Lady Warriors?
ATENEO UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Blue Eagles remain upbeat for return to relevance
UP UAAP 88 PREVIEW: 'CAL Girls' should be undeniable for Maroons to be in the fight
ADAMSON UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Lady Falcons trust process of building around Shaina
UST UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Tigresses all-in in Shaq-ing the system
LA SALLE UAAP 88 PREVIEW: All set or not, here come Angel-Shev-Amie anew for Lady Spikers
NU UAAP 88 PREVIEW: Who said Lady Bulldogs golden age is over?
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