Hope seeks win No. 3 vs St. James

MANILA, Philippines - Defending champion Hope Christian High School hopes to sustain its charge as it goes for its third straight victory against St. James College-Parañaque today even as Colegio San Agustin debuts in the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball League at the San Juan gym.

Led by Desiree Cheng and Carol Cerveza, the Hope tossers rolled past University of Perpetual Help-Laguna and Imus Institute to launch their title-retention campaign but they are expected to have their hands full against the St. James side as they try to make it three in a row in their 10 a.m. encounter.

The Sucat-based squad split its first two games to tie Imus Institute at second in Pool A action as the chase for the top two slots in the four-division tournament, sponsored by Shakey’s, heats up this weekend.

CSA, for one, will try to catch up with unbeaten Angeles University Foundation in Pool C play as it takes on MGC New Life Academy in the 9 a.m. opener and then clashes with Angelicum College at 1 p.m.

AUF is a cinch for the first quarterfinal slot with a 3-0 slate, the same record toted by St. Scholastica’s College in Pool B while De La Salle-Lipa shows the way in Pool D with a 2-0 mark.

MGC New Life and Angelicum dropped their respective opening day games and will be going all out for victories to remain in the hunt in the tournament backed by Asics, LBC, Toby’s Sports and Mikasa.

University of Santo Tomas, runner-up the last time out to Hope, also seeks to bounce back from its loss to St. Scho as it battles University of the Philippines Integrated School at 11 a.m.

Meanwhile, action in the league featuring the country’s leading and rising volley stars resumes tomorrow with another four-game bill with UST taking on Grace Christian College at 10 a.m. and UE colliding with Unida Christian College at 11 a.m.

Imus Institute will try to zero in on a quarters berth as it plays UPH-Laguna in the 9 a.m. opener with the latter completing its two-game assignment in the day against DLS-Canlubang at 1 p.m.