UP Fighting Maroons during a UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 87 volleyball tournament second round

MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philippines came close to ending its playoff drought, only to fall short at the finish line  in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday.

With their Final Four hopes hanging in the balance, the Fighting Maroons saw their bid come to an end on Wednesday after University of Santo Tomas pulled the plug with a  25-20, 25-21, 25-18 win at Mall of Asia Arena.

UP’s defeat officially eliminated them from Final Four contention, but for rising star Joan Monares, the season was still a step in the right direction.

“Looking at the brighter side, there’s progress in the team. It’s better to have that. We’re in a much better place than we were at last year,” said Monares.

“It’s better to have that progress now and we’re proud of it because we really worked hard preparing for this season.”

UP Fighting Maroons’ Irah Jaboneta. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

UP’s last Final Four appearance came in Season 78 back in 2016.

The Fighting Maroons could’ve kept their chances alive had they won over the Golden Tigresses,  but their fate still would have depended on the outcome of the other teams in Final Four contention.

Their closest competitor was Far Eastern University, which stands at 8-5 with still a game left in its schedule.

UP, which will have key talents coming in the next few years, led by transferee Casiey Dongallo, can still end the season on a high note with a win over Adamson on Sunday that would push its final record to 6-8.

The Fighting Maroons finished 2-12 in Season 86, and that leap in performance was not lost on Irah Jaboneta.

“It’s sad, but on the brighter side, we had huge improvements compared to past seasons,” said Jaboneta. “Of course, we’re happy because we raised our standing, which is big for us. But I’m more sad because we were already there. We were almost there.”