The Lady Stags, the reigning NCAA champions, completed their rise from the brink and into the finals after gaining a crack at the second championship berth via backdoor and then outfoxing the Adamson side, 25-13, 25-16, 23-25, 27-25, in their knockout duel last Thursday.
The Lady Archers, eyeing a third straight crown in this event presented by Shakey’s Pizza and organized by Sports Vision, clinched the first finals berth early owing to their near-impeccable stint in the elims and the semis and even had the luxury of resting Thai import Jindarat Kanchana for four games.
But when Kanchana, sidelined by a knee injury, returns to action beginning at 2 p.m., expect her counterpart in San Sebastian — Jaroensri Bualee — to give her a rude welcome.
The power-hitting Bualee blasted Adamson with a 26-point performance in the Lady Stags’ four-set victory over Cherry Rose Macatangay and the Lady Falcons and the 23-year-old power hitter is expected to further raise the level of her game in the finals.
"We draw our strength from her," said San Sebastian coach Roger Gorayeb in Filipino.
But with Bualee and Kanchana expected to neutralize each other, the bench could well spell the difference between victory and defeat in the event backed by Accel, Mikasa, Aquabest, VFresh, ABC-5 and ABC Sports.