UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas puts its unbeaten record on the line against Ateneo today as the second round action of the UAAP women's volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Games today
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
10 a.m. – NU vs UP (Men)
12 noon – Ateneo vs UST (Men)
2 p.m. – NU vs UP (Women)
4 p.m. – Ateneo vs UST (Women)
Enjoying their finest start since opening their 2006-07 championship run with nine straight victories, the Tigresses are determined to elevate their level of play several notches higher in the 4 p.m. duel with the Blue Eagles.
National University, which finished third behind UST and defending champion La Salle in the first round, plays University of the Philippines in the 2 p.m. curtain raiser.
The Tigresses defied all preseason forecasts by completing a seven-match sweep of the first round, including victories against the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Spikers, the league's most recent champions.
Libero Det Pepito, who took the captaincy after UST lost several key players led by Eya Laure and Imee Hernandez who are now in the pros, was satisfied with the way her team performed in the first round.
The Tigresses' super rookie Angge Poyos became the first round top attacker with a 42.07 percent success rate and second behind setter Cassie Carballo in service with a 0.44 average per set.
Carballo is having a great sophomore season for UST, being the league's top playmaker with a 4.96 average per set on top of being the best in the service zone with a 0.48 average per set.
"Happy lang din. Siyempre, naniniwala nga ako na lahat ng pinagtatrabahuan, lahat ng pinaghihirapan, nagbubunga," said Pepito.
"Sa training po never kaming nag-relax kasi mas gusto naming nahihirapan sa training para sa laro, mas madali," the first round's leader in receives added.
Currently tied with Adamson in fifth place with a 2-5 record, there's is a lot of catching up to do for Ateneo as it trails fourth-running Far Eastern University (4-3) by two games in the race for the last Final Four slot.
The Tigresses swept the Blue Eagles, 25-19, 25-16, 25-19, last March 9.
A victory over Ateneo will serve as a good springboard for UST heading into the Palm Sunday showdown with NU.
The Lady Bulldogs hope to score a repeat of their 25-17, 25-16, 25-17 conquest of the Fighting Maroons last March 2.
Coming off a tough five-set loss to La Salle in last Saturday's Finals rematch, NU is ready to pick up the pieces and move on to press its bid for a slot in the top two after the eliminations.
UP, for its part, seeks to carry the momentum of last Sunday's 25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-17 victory over University of the East to give new coach Oliver Almadro his first win. Niña Ytang for a second straight match due to the death of her mother, but Pling Baclay stepped up in her place as the rookie out of Naga College Foundation logged a career-high seven blocks to finish with 10 points.
Joan Monares scored 12 points, Irah Jaboneta also had 12 points that went along with 10 receptions and eight digs, while Nica Celis had three blocks for a 10-point effort for the Fighting Maroons.
UP will have a tough match-up to open the second round in National University tomorrow at the Big Dome, with Baclay crossing paths with her former high school teammates Arah Panique and Kaye Bombita.
Overwhelmed by getting more court time, Baclay hopes to make the most out of it in her rookie season for the Fighting Maroons.
"Parang nagmo-motivate ako in that way na maraming nagpu-push sa akin na go lang, push pa in the next game. Mas naging matapang ako," said Baclay.
In the men's division, the Bulldogs seek solo first place against the Fighting Maroons at 10 a.m. while the Golden Spikers try to avenge their five-set loss to the Blue Eagles in the first round at 12 noon.