Games Today
(Smart Araneta)
8 a.m. – NU vs Ateneo (men’s)
10 a.m. – FEU vs UST (men’s)
12 noon – UST vs NU (women’s)
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs La Salle (women’s)
Lady Eagles, Lady Archers vie for top seed in Final Four.
Archrivals Ateneo and La Salle are expected to go all out when they battle for the top seeding in the Final Four of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament.
Match is at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao with the Lady Eagles and the defending champion Lady Spikers seeking to get the needed momentum heading into the crucial semifinals.
Both teams already booked Final Four seats and twice-to-beat semifinal incentives with identical 11-2 win-loss records at the helm, but this match will determine their rivals in the round.
The No. 1 team at the end of the double round elims will play the No. 4 team, while the second-seeded squad will clash with the third seed team.
So far, Far Eastern University (8-6) has already claimed a Final Four berth with University of Santo Tomas and National University squaring off at 12 noon for their respective semis bids.
A victory for the Tigresses, who tote an 8-5 card, will earn them the remaining Final Four ticket, while a triumph for the Lady Bulldogs will forge them a playoff for the spot with the same rival.
Aside from its win-loss tally, UST has the advantage on paper as it won its first-round meeting against NU, 21-25, 25-14, 25-14, 25-12.
NU, for its part, has a 7-6 slate and is coming off back-to-back losses from FEU and University of the Philippines.
But the Lady Bulldogs are determined to keep its title campaign alive, with Jaja Santiago expected to double her efforts along with Jorelle Singh, Risa Sato, and Aiko Urdas.
The Tigresses, however, are undaunted with their own arsenal in Sisi Rondina, EJ Laure, and Chloe Cortez.
In the Ateneo-La Salle matchup, revenge is in the minds of the Lady Spikers after losing to the Lady Eagles in their first meeting, 26-24, 26-24, 21-25, 25-17.
The tandem of Kim Fajardo and Kim Dy are expected to be at the forefront of La Salle’s attacks against Ateneo’s deep lineup in Jia Morado, Kat Tolentino, and Bea De Leon.