LAS PIÑAS CITY – The University of Perpetual Junior Altas Spikers will launch their back-to-back bid when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Fiesta Season 101 opens on Monday, Jan. 19, at the Arellano Gym in Pasay City.
Multi-title coach Sandy Rieta will field nine rookies, including Symon Suyat from Baguio City, Daryll John Torio and Cholo Bustamante from Pangasinan to fill the spots vacated by Nathan Ciriaco, Zyro Ornos, Miguel Dela Cruz, Resty Santos and Charles Concina who will now be playing in the senior level.
In all, the Junior Altas Spikers will be aiming for their 14th title. They won their last seven titles under Rieta.
Rieta will also rely on mainstays such as team captain Gabriel Macatuno, Limuel Valderama, libero JM Regorosa and Finals MVP John Lat. They also boast of promising rookies like Jared Diez, Kiel Remorino, Tad Castillo, Raven Gale, Donald Sison and Yuri Espeho.
It can be recalled that the Junior Altas recorded 11 straight wins including a 9-game elimination sweep before outlasting the Letran Squires in the do-or-die of their title showdown, 25–21, 23–25, 21–25, 25–17, 15–9.
Like in the basketball competition, teams will be divided into two groups and will be using a single round elimination format.
UPH is bracketed in Group A long with EAC, Mapua (Malayan), San Beda and SSCR, while Group B will be comprised of Letran, JRU, Arellano, La Salle Greenhills and LPU GenTri.
There will be a play-In for the No. 4 and No. 5 of Groups A and B.
