By MARK REY MONTEJO
Red-hot La Salle aims to inch closer to an outright Finals berth when it guns for 12th straight win against Ateneo while MVP frontrunners Angge Poyos and Shai Nitura renew rivalry as University of Santo Tomas and Adamson go for crucial wins in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City on Saturday, April 11.
Unbeaten through the first 11 games, the Lady Spikers are out to boost their bid for a direct finals passage against the Lady Blue Eagles in their 11 a.m. showdown before the pivotal duel between the Tigresses and the Lady Falcons take centerstage at 5 p.m.
A victory for UST would solidify its grip on third place and drop Adamson to fifth, opening the door for the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws (6-5) to enter the semifinals picture.
If Adamson pulls off the win, it will forge a tie with UST inside the Top Four, while keeping FEU and University of the Philippines (5-6) within striking distance of a semis berth.
Angel Canino and the Lady Spikers return to the court with a chance to fast-track their Finals bid as they face a struggling Ateneo side reeling from a four-game skid, including a recent loss to UP.
Riding the momentum of a thrilling five-set escape over FEU, La Salle will once again rely on Canino, Shevana Laput, Amie Provido, and Eshana Nunag to extend its dominance over long-time rival Ateneo, which will lean on Dona De Leon, Ana Hermosura, Alex Montoro, Zey Pacia, and Jihan Chuatico.
Meanwhile, the España-based Tigresses continue to weather a rollercoaster campaign, coming off back-to-back wins over FEU and UE. They have won five of their last six games to keep their semifinal push intact.
Poyos and UST are also seeking redemption against Adamson, which dealt them a straight-set loss—highlighted by a 25-12 third-set rout—in their first-round meeting last March 7.
“For me, personally, I really need to step up against Adamson. In our last game against them, my scoring was limited,” said Poyos. “The system is there—we just need to execute and follow it.”
Adamson, for its part, also guns for a bounce-back win after being swept by NU in its last outing, with Nitura and Frances Mordi expected to lead the charge alongside Fhei Sagaysay, Marie Joy Aseo, Lhouriz Tuddao, and Kamille Dionisio.
In the men’s division, Ateneo (6-5) and La Salle (5-6), currently fourth and fifth, respectively, aim for a crucial win to strengthen their semifinal bids, while UST (7-4) continues its push for a twice-to-beat incentive against a struggling Adamson side (2-9).
