By Kristel Satumbaga
Games Today
(The Arena, San Juan City)
8 a.m. – Adamson vs NU (men’s)
10 a.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (men’s)
2 p.m. – UE vs NU (women’s)
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UST (women’s)
League-leading Ateneo hopes to ride the momentum of a six-game winning run when it battles University of Santo Tomas (UST) today at the start of the second-round eliminations of UAAP women’s volleyball at The Arena in San Juan City.
Toting a 6-1 win-loss mark, the Lady Eagles seek to reaffirm their mastery over the Tigresses in their 4 p.m. confrontation and duplicate their first-round victory (25-21, 25-18, 16-25, 25-22) to strengthen their hold of the lead.
However, expect a fiercer UST side this time having won its last three games to tie defending champion La Salle for second to third places with similar 5-2 cards.
Sis Rondina and rookie Eya Laure formUST’s 1-2 punch after leading the Most Valuable Player race in the first round, but Ateneo has its triple tower in Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino and Bea De Leon.
Laure’s sharp kills make her the leading spiker so far, while Madayag is currently the best blocker in the league.
Meanwhile, University of the East (UE) aims to crawl out of the cellar it shares with Adamson when it faces National University at 2 p.m.
The Lady Warriors sport a 1-6 record that includes a three-game losing skein while the Lady Bulldogs carry a 2-5 mark at sixth.
In men’s action, Far Eastern University (FEU) tries to preserve its unbeaten run when it tangles with Ateneo at 10 a.m. while Adamson squares off with NU in the 8 a.m. opener.
Dropping only five sets in all their seven wins, the Tamaraws will once again rely on John Paul Bugaoan, Redi John Paler and Jude Garcia.
But the Eagles are armed with their own hard-hitting trio in Tony Koyfman, Chumason Njingha and Ron Medalla.
