Favorites pace UAAP volleyball

The favorites waltzed to their second straight victories, but it was the Far Eastern U ladies team which created the biggest impact yesterday in the UAAP volleyball competitions at the College of Human Kinetics gym inside UP-Diliman.

FEU, the reigning women’s champion, blasted UE, 25-11, 25-7, 25-12, in just 39 minutes -- the quickest thus far in the tournament.

La Salle also continued to live up to its billing as one of the favorites for the men’s crown when it crushed National University, 25-19, 25-15, 25-19, in less than an hour.

The Green Archers and the Lady Tamaraws are 2-0 in the tournament, the same slate being sported by Santo Tomas and tournament host UP in the men’s contest and also by the Lady Archers in the women’s side.

Santo Tomas made UE wilt in a 52-minute match, sending the Redshirts to their first loss in two games, 25-22, 25-17, 25-12, while the Maroons, the darkhorse this season who were second to last in the eight-team field last year, blasted away at Adamson, 25-18, 25-20, 25-14.

The Lady Archers, runners-up to the Lady Tamaraws last season, needed 54 minutes to deal Adamson its second straight loss, 25-16, 25-21, 25-15.

The Tamaraws recovered from an opening-day loss to the Tigers of Santo Tomas by beating Ateneo, 25-20, 25-10, 25-16. The Blue Eagles, perennial tailenders in UAAP volleyball, are 0-2.

Santo Tomas and UP also evened up their records at 1-1 in the women’s contest with the Lady Tigers drubbing National U in an 88-minute five-setter, 24-16, 21-25, 25-11, 25-11, 15-10.

The Lady Maroons also had to buck a first-set loss before pushing Ateneo to its second straight setback, 25-19, 15-25, 25-22, 25-22.

Games, all starting at 8 a.m., resume Sunday also at UP. Matches pit UE against UP, NU against Ateneo, UST against Adamson and De La Salle against FEU in the men’s and De La Salle against UST, Adamson against NU, FEU against UP and UE against Ateneo in the women’s side.

Standings: Men – De La Salle 2-0, UST 2-0, UP 2-0, UE 1-1, FEU 1-1, Adamson 0-2, Ateneo 0-2. Women – De La Salle 2-0, FEU 2-0, UST 1-1, UP 1-1, UE 1-1, Adamson 0-2, NU 0-2, Ateneo 0-2.