DEFENDING champion Ateneo and De La Salle try to keep their share of the lead when they square off with separate foes on Wednesday in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 78 women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Lady Eagles take on the dangerous Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws at 2 p.m., while the Lady Spikers battle the unpredictable National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs at 4 p.m.
Men’s champion Ateneo, on the other hand, eyes its third straight victory and the solo lead against Adamson University at 10 a.m.
Ateneo showed signs of vulnerability when it struggled in its last match against University of Santo Tomas, a 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 25-15 win last Saturday, extending its winning streak to 20 games since last season.
“We don’t think about that [the streak]. Of course, it gives us confidence but Coach Tai [Bundit] does not stop us from hard training. We learn different things every game,” reigning two-time Most Valuable Player Alyssa Valdez said.
Just like the Lady Eagles, the Lady Spikers are unbeaten in two contests. Coach Ramil de Jesus has pulled off surprises with his starting six in every game, hinting that he might use a different roster when they take on the Lady Bulldogs.
De Jesus used rookie May Luna in De La Salle’s straight-sets win over FEU but she was not fielded last Saturday when they beat University of the Philippines, 25-14, 25-13, 19-25, 25-20.