Lady Archers seek place in semis today

Reigning UAAP champion La Salle seeks to formalize its stint in the semifinal round of the inaugural Shakey’s V-League as it takes on lowly Far Eastern U even as San Sebastian tries to check its alarming skid at resumption of women’s volleyball action at the Lyceum gym today.

The Lady Archers have picked up four straight victories since dropping their opening day game to unbeaten University of Santo Tomas and are heavily favored to beat the FEU Lady Tams and join the Tigresses in the crossover semis of this event sponsored by Shakey’s and backed by Accel and Mikasa.

The match is set at 5 p.m. with FEU, with only a win to show in five games, hard-pressed to come up with a victory in a bid to stay in the hunt for one of the semis berths in the six-week long tournament organized by Sports Vision Management Group, Inc.

Focus will also be on the SSC netters, who opened their bid with a lot of promise, winning their first two games only to falter with three straight losses, including a sorry 25-11, 20-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-10 setback to a resurgent Lyceum side late Tuesday.

With a 2-3 mark, San Sebastian needs to win two of its last three games to advance although the Recoletos-based netters are expected to encounter stiff resistance from Letran, which like FEU has a woeful 1-4 card, is in a must-win situation heading into the last four playdates of the elims.

The top four teams after the qualifiers will advance to the crossover semis with the No. 1 squad clashing with the No. 4 and the Nos. 2 and 3 teams tangling for spots in the finals.

The SSC-Letran match will be shown "live" at 3 p.m. on IBC-13 with the La Salle-FEU duel to be telecast Friday beginning at 3 p.m.

La Salle, which also topped the UniGames last year and the CHED Palaro in Bacolod City two months ago, is expected to pin its hopes again on last year’s UAAP MVP Desiree Hernandez, skipper Maureen Penetrante, Relea Ferina Saet, Ivory Ablig, Carissa Gotis and the comely pair of libero Shermain Miles Penano and outsider spiker Manila Santos.

The Lady Tams, mentored by Marilyn Bautista, for their part, are expected to draw strength from the power-hitting Ruby May Rovira and an effective back-up cast of Wendy Ann Semana, Mary Ann Manalo, Mary Dianne Torres and Cecile Chavez.