By MARK REY MONTEJO
All eyes are on University of Perpetual Help DALTA as it goes for a four-peat when it collides with Emilio Aguinaldo College at the start of their best-of-three title series in the NCAA Season 99 men’s volleyball tournament at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City on Sunday, May 19.
Game time is set at 11:30 a.m. with both teams looking for a rousing start, knowing how important to win the opener of a short title series.
Like Perpetual, College of St. Benilde is also on a mission when the Lady Blazers battle the Letran Lady Knights in their own title series starting at 2 p.m.
The Lady Blazers are eyeing a third straight title sweep as they try to extend their amazing winning run to 31 games that dates back four years ago during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
The Lady Blazers are determined to stretch their dominance to three years.
Led by reigning MVP Louie Ramirez , the Altas advanced outright to the finals after completing a 9-game sweep of the elims, a feat that bodes well to their mission of winning a fourth straight championship and 14th overall since joining the “grand old league” in the 80s.
Ramirez expressed high hopes of their chances, saying they have prepared for this championship.
The team suffered its only defeat last year since starting to dominate the league in 2018 but went on to extend their reign that was interrupted by the Covid pandemic.
Though they beat the Generals in the first round, Perpetual coach Sammy Acaylar has challenged his players to give no quarter to Generals and consider the game as do-or-die.
The Generals, whom earned a trip to the finals with a pulsating 30-28, 25-15, 19-25, 28-26 triumph over the Letran Knights in the stepladder round, are hoping to start their redemption journey since winning their last championship 9 years ago.
