Lady Bulldogs, Lady Tams start step-ladder semis

MANILA, Philippines -- National University and Far Eastern University clash for survival in a no-tomorrow match today in the UAAP Season 77 women's volleyball step-ladder semifinals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs are making their third consecutive Final Four appearance, while the Lady Tamaraws are back in the post-season after a three-year absence.

The winner of the 4 p.m. showdown which is expected to go down the wire will face twice-to-beat La Salle in the second step-ladder duel on Wednesday.

In the men's division, defending champion NU and second seed University of Santo Tomas collide for the right to face Ateneo in the best-of-three championship in the first game at 2 p.m.

The third-ranked Bulldogs got a lifeline, as they withstood Mark Alfafara's monster 37-point outburst in hacking out a 26-24, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21 win over the Growling Tigers in last Wednesday's opener.

With Jaja Santiago, Myla Pablo and Jorelle Singh's improved attacking game, NU went 6-3 since coach Roger Gorayeb last month to finish third in the elimination round with a 8-6 record.

FEU, meanwhile, survived three do-or-die games, including a 25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 16-25, 15-6 win over UST in last Wednesday's do-or-die playoff for the No. 4 slot.

Despite the long, circuitous route to the Finals, Gorayeb is positive that it can hurdle the tough challenge, whatever it takes for his Lady Bulldogs.

"Yung Ateneo, last year, step-ladder rin, twice-to-beat yung NU, tapos tinalo nila. Then thrice-to-beat ang La Salle and they won (the title). In six games. Sana maduplicate yan. Pangarap yan na hindi mahirap abutin. Nothing is impossible," said Gorayeb, moments after his troops knocked out University of the Philippines, 25-21, 25-16, 25-15 in the final day of eliminations last Saturday.

FEU hopes to make the most out its first post-season stint since 2012 behind hard-spiking Bernadette Pons, Geneveve Casugod, Remy Palma and libero Tin Agno, the only remnant in that Lady Tamaraws squad that advanced to the Final Four.

"Maganda ang ikinikilos ng NU, pero hindi kami nawawalan ng pag-asa. Nakakaakyat na kami. Yung butas ng karayom, napapalaki namin. Pero hindi kami puwedeng mag-relax dahil tiyak na magiging intense ang pangyayari sa game (today)," said FEU mentor Shaq delos Santos.

While the 6-foot-4 Santiago is definitely the Lady Bulldogs' main offensive weapon, the Lady Tamaraws had a deep middle frontline with Palma, Casugod and Jerilli Malabanan and a do-it-all defensive specialist in Agno.

"Si Jaja sobrang laki, pero kailangang maging focused kami at mag-enjoy sa game," said delos Santos.