Games Saturday
(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion, Manila)
9 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (Men’s)
11 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (Women’s)
3 p.m. – Adamson vs FEU (Men’s)
5 p.m. – Adamson vs FEU (Women’s)
By MARK REY MONTEJO
Adamson will be gunning for “two birds” when it battles Far Eastern University in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila Saturday, April 18.
With an 8-5 record, the Lady Falcons could become the third qualifier to the Final Four after league-leading La Salle (13-0) and National University (9-3) if they emerge victorious in their 5 p.m. showdown.
A victory would not only give the Lady Falcons a semis ticket, but will also avenge their first-round loss to the Morayta-based squad.
But it won’t be easy since the 7-5 FEU is also in dire need of a win to boost its own semis bid.
Adding excitement to the vital match is the duel between top Most Valuable Player contenders in Shai Nitura of Adamson and Gerz Petallo of FEU.
If La Salle (13-0) completes a sweep, the league will shift to a stepladder format instead of holding regular semis.
Nitura and the Lady Falcons are out to exact their revenge against the Tin Ubaldo-led Lady Tamaraws, who dealt them a 22-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-20 loss in their first-round meeting last March 1, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Aside from Shai Nitura and Frances Mordi, who is also in the mix for the MVP plum, setter Fhei Sagaysay should be in her best form just like in the team’s last two wins.
“Hindi naman po lahat [magiging] madali, pero ‘yon nga, sinu-surrender ko lang po kay God ‘yong resulta. Siya na po ang bahala and ‘yong preparation namin for FEU is talagang pagtutuunan ko ng pansin,” said Sagaysay, also a frontrunner for Best Setter plum.
Apart from Petallo and Ubaldo, also raring to provide additional firepower are Faida Bakanke, Cla Loresco, Jaz Ellarina, Aly Devosora, and Lovely Lopez.
Meanwhile, the UE Lady Warriors hope to end their misery when they clash with the Ateneo Lady Eagles at 11 a.m.
In men’s fray, Ateneo (7-5) is out to extend its win streak to three against UE (3-10) in their 9 a.m. collision, while FEU (11-1) looks to tighten its grip of No. 1 spot when it faces Adamson (3-10) at 3 p.m.
