Ateneo, FEU dispute last Final Four berth

MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo and Far Eastern U clash today in a playoff for the last semifinal berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 second conference with odds just about event between two teams that split their first two matches in the season-ending tournament.

But momentum could be on the Lady Tams’ side after they pulled off a 25-21, 27-25, 11-25, 25-18 victory over the Eagles in the final quarterfinal round playdate last Thursday to force a sudden death for the fourth and last Final Four seat.

Gametime is at 4 p.m. at The Arena in San Juan.

San Sebastian-Excelroof and Adamson tied for first at 10-2 at the close of the carryover quarters with the Lady Stags clinching the No. 1 spot with a superior tiebreak score. They will face the winner of the Ateneo-FEU duel in the best-of-three semis starting Sept. 9.

The Lady Falcons, who swept the Stags this conference and the quarterfinal round, will take on the No. 3 Lyceum Lady Pirates in the other semis duel.

Rachel Anne Daquis, Cherry Vivas and Michelle Carolino, who combined for 50 hits in stopping the Lady Eagles the last time out to remain in the title hunt, are expected to lead FEU’s charge again with support to come from Monique Tiangco, Kenneth Eulalio and Gyzelle Sy.

But the Loyola-based squad, which swept FEU in the elims, is raring to atone for its forgettable quarters campaign where it dropped four of its five matches, including a pair of shutout losses to the top two squads in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza.

Surasawadee Boonyuen fired 23 hits last Thursday but the Thai import failed to draw the needed backup from the rest of the Lady Eagles mainstays with guest player Alyssa Valdez churning out the only other double-digit score of 15 points.

Gretchen Ho, Bea Pascual and Fille Cainglet, who averaged double-digit scores in the elims, struggled for just a combined 14-point output last Thursday, virtually slowing down Ateneo’s attacking game.