Fancied Lady Spikers aim to reassert mastery over Blue Eagles

Games on Saturday

(FilOil Centre)

9 a.m. - Ateneo vs DLSU (men)

11 a.m. - Ateneo vs DLSU (women)

3 p.m. - UST vs ADU (men)

5 p.m. - UST vs ADU (women)

MANILA, Philippines -- Three wins away from an outright finals berth and unblemished La Salle wants no stumble when it eyes mastery of rival Ateneo in the homestretch of the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball Saturday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

Action sizzles at 11 a.m. for a rare early billing as Final Four hopefuls University of Santo Tomas (7-4) and Adamson (6-5) clash in a crucial main duel at 5 p.m.

Still perfect in 11 matches and already assured of a twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four, all metrics point to the Lady Spikers as the heavy favorites to pulverize the Blue Eagles once more for the bigger goal of sweeping the two-round elims and gain a free finals passage.

La Salle has also won 17 games in a row against Ateneo since 2017 but the wards of coach Ramil de Jesus is keeping a hungry mentality to dodge any slip-up in its serious redemption tour after a bridesmaid finish to back-to-back champion National U last season.

“Kahit wala tayong talo, huwag nating i-pressure ‘yung sarili namin. Iyan ang sinasabi namin sakanila,” said assistant coach Noel Orcullo.

La Salle nearly absorbed its first scar for a foiled finals bid, pulling off a 25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10 escape act from the skidding Far Eastern University (6-5) this week.

And the same approach has been ordered by De Jesus against the Bleu Eagles if the Lady Spikers wish to stay on course to a sweep ahead of their final two assignments against the winless University of the East and no less than NU.

“Huwag tayong mag-dwell doon sa kailangan nating ma-sweep, basta tayo maglaro lang one game at a time kung sino man ang kalaban natin, kailangan mag-focus tayo doon.”

For UST, the mission is similar especially in a tightrope race with Adamson and FEU for the last two semifinal tickets. NU, at 8-3, holds an inside track to the second seed and a twice-to-beat prize.

“Dikit dikit yung standings namin so tiyaga lang siguro. Patapos na ‘yung second round and ‘yung goal namin na makapasok sa Final Four, nandoon pa. Tiyaga and tiwala sa sarili at sa sistema," said deputy mentor Lerma Giron.

Meanwhile in the men’s division, Ateneo (6-5) and La Salle (5-6) fight for the No 4 seed at 9 a.m. after the bid of UST (7-4) to avoid complications and clinch the third semis ticket against also-ran Adamson (2-9) at 3 p.m.

FEU (10-1) and five-peat champion NU (9-2) already advanced to the Final Four with the Tamaraws enjoying a sure win-once bonus. The Bulldogs are still wary of a possible tie with the Golden Spikers for the No. 2 seed and the last incentive.