ONE winning streak will be extended while another will be snapped, as front-runner Ateneo de Manila and University of Santo Tomas (UST) clash today in Season 79 University Athletic Association of the Philippines women’s volleyball action at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.
The Lady Eagles put on the line their six-game winning run against the Tigresses, who are in their four-match roll on their own, in the 4 p.m. match.
Ateneo leads the field with seven wins and only one loss, numbers that make the Lady Eagles look prime for an eighth-consecutive Final Four appearance. The Tigresses, on the other hand, own a third-running 5-3 card, a record that keeps them in the hunt for a semifinals seat.
University of the Philippines, meanwhile, tries to improve on its sixth-ranked 4-4 record against a Universtity of the East side that already avoided a winless season in the 2 p.m. duel. The Lady Warriors have beaten the Lady Falcons for a 1-7 card.
In men’s play, National University (NU, 7-1) tries to move closer to a Final Four berth against Adamson University (2-6) at 10 a.m., right after the duel between UE (1-7) and UST (3-5) at 8 a.m.
The Lady Eagles are two wins shy of securing a playoff for a Final Four slot and that has given the team more confidence.
“It’s a team effort,” Ateneo Assistant Coach Sherwin Meneses said. “And the players’ confidence level is high. They’re playing without looking at the standings, but everyone’s focused on winning.”
The Tigresses are hoping to avoid a repeat of their 20-25, 21-25, 22-25 season-opening defeat to the Lady Eagle.
Standings: Women—Ateneo 7-1, De La Salle 7-2, UST 5-3, FEU 5-4, NU 5-4, UP 4-4, UE 1-7, Adamson 0-9. Men—Ateneo 9-0, NU 7-1, FEU 5-4, UP 4-5, UST 3-5, De La Salle 3-6, Adamson 2-6, UE 1-7.