By MARK REY MONTEJO
Reigning champion National University and University of Santo Tomas are out to maintain their winning ways when they take on separate rivals in the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City Saturday, March 1.
Coming off a five-set thriller over Far Eastern University – their toughest game so far – the Lady Bulldogs are installed heavy favorites over the University of the East Lady Warriors in their 4 p.m. showdown.
Raising the curtain is the much-awaited duel of current and rising stars in Angge Poyos and Shaina Nitura when the Golden Tigresses and the Adamson Lady Falcons battle in the 2p.m affair.
NU head coach Sherwin Meneses challenged his wards to stay on their toes, knowing full well that as the defending champions, opposing teams will surely bring their best just to try and take them down.
“Malakas man o nasa bottom man ‘yon kalaban…, UE, La Salle, FEU man ‘yan, lagi naming paghahandaan ‘yan. ‘Di importante kung sino kalaban, ang importante is lalaban mo sila ng maayos,” said Meneses.
“Kada game naman po ni-treat namin sya equally, like UE, papanoorin namin sila, babalik kami sa drawing board… and hopefully maging pulido kami,” Bella Belen echoed as the Lady Bulldogs try to protect their pristine 3-0 record.
For one, UE is not a team to be taken lightly especially with Khy Cepada, Nessa Bangayan and Kayce Balingit bannering the squad which is hungry for the team’s first win in the season.
In the UST-Adamson duel, Poyos is looking forward to her duel with Nitura who is emerging as the early favorite to win the Rookie of the Year plum
“Actually nagharap na kami ni Shaina no’ng highschool pa kami sa UAAP. Ini-expect ko talaga na magaling sya and may maraming variations ‘yong mga palo nya,” said Poyos. “Kaya expect namin na maganda magiging laban ng mga teams namin this Saturday.”
Coming from a five-set triumph over rival La Salle, the Espana-based squad tries to keep the streak going with Regina Jurado, Margaret Altea, Mabeth Hilongo, and Detdet Pepito also expected to star for the Espana-based squad.
The Lady Falcons, however, also had the momentum heading into the contest after a quick work against the Lady Warriors last time out.
Over at tthe men’s division, UST guns for a third straight win against Adamson, which, for its part, tries to string together back-to-back wins in the 10 a.m. face-off. NU, meanwhile, aims to bounce back when it clashes with the struggling UE at 12 noon.
