By NIKOLE JAVIER
University of Santo Tomas guns for a rare first round sweep against Adamson while last season finalists De La Salle and National University renew their rivalry in the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday, March 16, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Golden Tigresses look to assert their mastery over the rest of the field against the Lady Falcons in the 4 p.m. clash while the Lady Spiker and the Lady Bulldogs break their deadlock at the second spot in the curtain raiser at 2 p.m.
The España squad unveiled itself as one of the top contenders of the season with convincing victories over La Salle and NU which was largely thanks to rookie outside hitter Angge Poyos and sophomore setter Cassie Carballo.
The pair has steered UST to the top with Poyos scoring no under 22 points since her UAAP debut, while Carballo has not only displayed mature playmaking but stood out in other skills as the league-leading top server.
It is the Golden Tigresses’ best start since Season 73 in 2010 before falling short of the sweep against eventual championship rival Lady Spikers.
With La Salle already out of the way 14 years later to do exactly just that, UST should be looking at its dream first round sweep a day from now.
The Lady Falcons, on the other hand, are hoping to end the first round on a bright note by snapping their back-to-back losses which will be no easy feat considering what’s on the line for the Golden Tigresses.
La Salle and NU are currently sporting similar 5-1 records — their defeats were inflicted by the Golden Tigresses.
After a 5-set loss to UST last Feb. 25, the defending champions went on a tear, beating their rivals via short route.
Reigning Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Player Angel Canino remained as the Taft-based squad’s top scorer which proves her maturity beyond years as a reliable young leader.
However, new starting setter Julia Coronel and libero Lyka De Leon are both set to play significant roles in the Lady Spikers’ continued dominance over the Lady Bulldogs.
Interestingly, La Salle swept NU from the elimination round to their championship showdown last season to reassert their mastery in every way possible.
The Lady Bulldogs, though, are riding on a crest of five-game winning streak following their sorry opening day loss against the Golden Tigresses last Feb. 17.
The trio of former MVP Bella Belen, top scorer Alyssa Solomon and Vange Alinsug are expected to carry a bulk of the load in the much-anticipated game.
