MANILA, Philippines - Defending champion National U and Adamson try to arrange a showdown for the Shakey’s V-League Season 11 First Conference crown as they go for repeat against University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern U, respectively, today at The Arena in San Juan City.
Though the Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Falcons went through some anxious moments before subduing their respective rivals, they are expected to pour it all out for the win and avoid the specter of going through a pair of sudden deaths where momentum could shift to the other side.
NU, which repulsed UST, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, will again bank on its relentless attacking game anchored on the power-hitting sister tandem of Dindin and Jaja Santiago, who combined for 33 hits to take the opener of their best-of-three series in the season-opening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.
“They’re the heart and soul of this team,†said NU coach Ariel dela Cruz of the 6-3 Jaja and 6-1 Dindin.
But Aiko Urdas, one of NU’s top hitters, is a doubtful starter in their 2 p.m. duel after sustaining a knee injury in the third set last Sunday. After she was pulled out, she never returned and finished with just four hits.
That should give UST one less problem but the Tigresses will need a stronger effort from ace rookie EJ Laure, who was held to just 16 hits by the towering net defense of Jaja Santiago, who had a match-best five blocks.
Pam Lastimosa and Jessey de Leon have been dishing out big games for UST but coach Odjie Mamon also needs to draw the best from Carmela Tunas, Jan Dusaran, Eiriel Cortez, Rhea Dimaculangan and Marivic Meneses, the league’s top blocker who only had two blocks and finished with three hits last Sunday.
While NU checked an impending skid to pull through against UST, Adamson needed to fight back from two sets down to frustrate FEU with the crisp-hitting troika of Sheila Marie Pineda, Pau Soriano and Thai import Pacharee Sangmuang again expected to lead the Lady Falcons’ bid for a return stint to the finals of the league backed by Mikasa, Accel and Lion Tiger Mosquito Coil.