MANILA, Philippines – Talented and battle-tested, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws will try to end their school's long wait for championship No. 30 in the UAAP Season 79 tournament.

Season 78 record: 9-5

Season 78 summary: Considered a dark horse in Season 78, the FEU Lady Tamaraws turned out to be one of the surprise packages of last year's tournament as they used a late winning streak to roar to the Final Four.

Injuries limited attacker Bernadeth Pons in the first round, but once she recovered, she and Toni Basas combined to make a formidable tandem. Middle blocker Remy Palma anchored their net defense and provided the leadership, and returning setter Gyzelle Sy conducted FEU's offense with veteran poise.

They won five of seven games in the second round to enter the Final Four as the third seed, and once there, they proceeded to stun the De La Salle University in five sets to force a do-or-die game. The Lady Tamaraws battled back from a two-set deficit, with several players stepping up for the team.

However, they ran out of steam in the do-or-die game, losing in straight sets to the eventual champions Lady Spikers. Still, it was clear that the Lady Tamaraws were brimming with potential and should be considered as contenders in the coming season.

• LOOK: UAAP 79 volleyball schedule

Key losses: Gyzelle Sy

Key returnees: Bernadeth Pons, Toni Rose Basas, Remy Palma, Kyle Negrito

Projection: FEU only loses one starter from last season's Final Four team in veteran setter Gyzelle Sy. There is no doubt that the Lady Tamaraws will miss her, especially since Sy was a former Best Setter and had the ability to turn poor first balls into pinpoint passes. She will be replaced by Kyle Negrito, who is less experienced but should also be less of a vulnerability on defense, thanks to her height.

The Lady Tamaraws' first and most obvious strength is their 1-2 punch of Pons and Basas, who combined to score 421 points in Season 78 and were both in the Top 10 in terms of attack percentage. Pons is now fully healthy, having recovered from the back issues that hounded her last year, while Basas has greatly improved, thanks in part to FEU's stint in the V-League where she served as the team's first option on offense.

Combined with other threats in Remy Palma, Heather Guino-o, and Jerrili Malabanan, FEU should have one of the most potent frontlines in the UAAP. The question is whether Negrito will be able to pull the strings as ably as Sy did for them last year.

On defense, the Lady Tamaraws should improve as well. They were already the best digging team last year, averaging 10.64 digs per set, and they will return with the libero combo of Ria Duremdes and Kyla Atienza in Season 79. Pons is an excellent floor defender as well.

Unlike last year, when they pulled off some surprises, the Lady Tamaraws will not be sneaking up on anyone in Season 79. One of the most talented and experienced teams in the league, FEU is eyeing nothing less than the championship this time around.

What they said: "Siyempre ang goal namin ngayon is mag-champion. Last season, sobrang lapit na namin pero kulang pa rin. Parang yung last season yung magiging motivation namin for this coming season." – Bernadeth Pons

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