Games on Wednesday
(SM Mall of Asia Arena)
9 a.m. – UST vs UP (men)
11 a.m. – DLSU vs AdU (men)
1 p.m. – UST vs UP (women)
3 p.m. – DLSU vs AdU (women)
TOP CONTENDERS De La Salle University (DLSU) and University of Santo Tomas (UST) want no complication in formalizing their Final Four march against separate foes as the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball comes out of a 10-day lull on Wednesday in the crucial homestretch at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The DLSU Lady Spikers (8-4) take on the also-ran Adamson University Lady Falcons (5-7) in the main game at 3 p.m. while the UST Golden Tigresses (8-4) battle the spirited and still semis hopeful University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons (6-6) at 1 p.m.
Wins by La Salle and Santo Tomas would ensure them a ticket to the Final Four, giving Far Eastern University (8-5) a free ride as well to complete the picture given UP’s seventh defeat.
Reigning champion National University, at 11-2, is already into the postseason with a twice-to-beat incentive as well, leaving the other bonus up for grabs among La Salle, Santo Tomas and FEU.
But first things for first for the Lady Spikers and the Golden Tigresses, and that’s clinching a Final Four ticket before embarking on their final assignments against FEU and NU, respectively, this weekend, in a mad scramble for Top 2.
Santo Tomas’ win last weekend eliminated Adamson in the process and another victory on Wednesday would eliminate UP, which for its part is undeterred in springing another massive upset.
The UP Fighting Maroons need to win all of their remaining matches, and hope for either of the three teams ahead of them to lose all their final matches to force a knockout at the No. 4 seed.
For UP, a chance is still a chance that it’s willing to fight for until the last serve.
“We can’t choose our final games. All of them are contenders. We have no choice but to push and push. We’re hoping for that chance and we’ll fight for it until the end,” said coach Benson Bocboc after a big 26-24, 18-25, 19-25, 25-22, 16-14 win over La Salle to dodge elimination.
Meanwhile, in men’s play, Santo Tomas (8-4) slug it out against UP (3-9) at 9 a.m. while La Salle (8-4) takes on Adamson (2-10) at 11 a.m. for playoff positioning after completing the Final Four with top-seeds FEU (12-1) and four-peat champion NU (11-2). — John Bryan Ulanday