ATENEO and National University (NU) clash in a no-tomorrow Game Three of the Shakey’s V-League Season 12 Collegiate Conference championship series at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.
The match, seen as a prelude for how Season 78 volleyball action would go in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, is set at 12:45 p.m.
Ateneo will again play without its Head Coach Tai Bundit, who is still in Thailand on a coaching seminar. But his assistant, Parley Tupaz, is confident the Lady Eagles—powered by Most Valuable Player Alyssa Valdez—would bring the trophy to Katipunan.
“Magandang laban kasi lahat ng players gusto mag-champion,” Tupaz said. On the NU side, Head Coach Roger Gorayeb would be leaning on the Lady Bulldogs’ hunger for their second V-League championship with towering sisters, Jaja and Dindin Santiago-Manabat, leading the charge.
“Syempre going all out, gusto namin magchampion. The players will give all their best to get this championship,” Gorayeb said who coached the national yeam.
The Lady Eagles drew first blood, 25-22, 25-17, 25-17, but couldn’t complete a sweep against a vicious NU team, 25-19, 25-13, 25-23, to force the rubber match.
Interestingly, NU won the Season 10 championship against a Gorayeb-coached Ateneo side, 2-1.
Ateneo is eyeing its third championship. The Lady Eagles also won Season 8 against Adamson University and Season 9 against University of Santo Tomas.
The match will be aired live on GMA News TV Channel 11 and via streaming on www.v-league.ph, according to the organizing Sports Vision.
Valdez and company are expected to rebound strong from their Game Two setback, but expect NU to also step up its attack even more, guaranteeing a slambang duel for the hotly contested Season 12 crown in the league, sponsored by Shakey’s and presented by PLDT Home Ultera.
“They jumped the gun on us early in Game Two and we never recovered,” said Tupaz, referring to their loss last week that saw Valdez struggle for just nine hits. “We need to play with more energy.”
The Lady Bulldogs virtually silenced the predominantly pro-Ateneo crowd the last time out, dishing out a superb all-around game anchored on the Santiago sisters, Myla Pablo, Jorelle Singh, Aiko Urdas and veteran playmaker Rubie de Leon to fashion out the straight-set win.
Manabat, who missed the opener of the title series, backed by Mikasa and Accel, provided not only the firepower and poise, but also the defensive might, coming through with five blocks that stymied the vaunted Ateneo attack anchored on Valdez.