UAAP volleyball: Bottom-ranked squads try to stay in semis race

Games Saturday

(Mall of Asia Arena)

10 a.m. – AdU vs UE (men)

12 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (men)

2 p.m. – AdU vs UE (women)

4 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (women)

MANILA, Philippines — Four bottom-ranked squads try inject some hope in their respective campaigns when they slug it out in the crucial second round of the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Adamson takes on the winless University of the East at 2 p.m. followed by the Katipunan duel between host University of the Philippines and Ateneo at 4 p.m.

The double-header serves as a prelude to the gigantic duel among league-leaders Sunday featuring unbeaten champion National University (7-0) against red-hot La Salle (5-2) and runner-up University of Santo Tomas (5-2) versus Far Eastern University (4-3).

But the spotlight for now is on the four squads way below the cut in a bid to keep their slim hopes alive with seven games to spare.

UE remains winless in seven games, Ateneo and Adamson are struggling at 2-5, while UP is the closest to the Final Four race so far at 3-4, making their encounters Saturday a critical turn in the mad second-round scramble.

The Fighting Maroons are out to ride on the momentum of five-setter win against the Lady Falcons to snap a four-game skid at the end of the first round.

They also have some score to settle against the Blue Eagles, who swept them with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-18 win in the first round.

Ateneo, for its part, also ended a three-game drought with a five-setter win against Ateneo to head onto the battle against rival UP with a much-needed momentum.

For the winless UE and Adamson on a four-game slid, one team will finally get a shot in the arm albeit the Lady Falcons, led by super rookie and MVP contender Shaina Nitura, hold the edge after a 25-20, 25-15, 25-12 win in the first round.