Pirates, Lady Tams fight for last semis seat

MANILA, Philippines - Lyceum and Far Eastern U clash today in a crucial match for the fourth and last berth in the Final Four even as Adamson and San Sebastian stepped up their drive for the No. 1 spot in the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 second conference at The Arena in San Juan today.

Tied for fourth at 5-5, the Lady Pirates and the Tams go for it in the 6 p.m. main game of another triplebill serving as the penultimate playdate of the single round quarterfinal phase in the season-ending conference sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Between the two, however, FEU is hard-pressed for a victory since it will still face title contender Ateneo at the end of the quarters on Thursday. Lyceum closes out its campaign against ousted National University.

Rachel Anne Daquis and Michelle Carolino hope to lead FEU against a Lyceum side bannered by Dahlia Cruz and the top-hitting Mary Jean Balse, the second leading scorer with a 20-hit norm behind SSC’s Thai import Jeng Bualee.

The Lady Stags, on the other hand, battle the Lady Eagles in the 4 p.m. match, another explosive match featuring the two Thai imports in the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Accel, Mikasa and Excelroof.

Although Bualee has outscored Ateneo’s Surasawadee Boonyuen, the Lady Eagles’ locals have been playing above par with Gretchen Ho, Fille Cainglet, Bea Pascual, Jamenea Ferrer and guest player Alyssa Valdez tipped to sustain their form.

Ateneo needs a win to clinch the third semis berth or face the spectre of falling into a three-way for third with Lyceum and FEU.

Adamson, meanwhile, is fancied over NU in the 2 p.m. opener with the streaking Lady Falcons eyeing a sweep of the quarters and the No. 1 spot.