UAAP volleyball time
La Salle opens title defense against UST
COLLEGIATE volleybelles from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) now take front and center with the start of the volleyball tournament for Season 80 this weekend.
Happening at the Mall of Asia Arena, all eight competing teams get to take the floor in the first two play dates of the new season and all aiming to get their respective campaigns to a winning start.
Defending champions De La Salle Lady Spikers, gunning for their third straight UAAP title and 11th overall, open their title defense against the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses in the 4 p.m. match on opening today.
On Saturday, Feb. 3, the Adamson Lady Falcons taking on the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs in the curtain-raiser at 2 p.m.
On Sunday, Feb. 4, the University of the Philippines (UP) Lady Fighting Maroons and University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors open the festivities at 2 p.m. to be followed by the Ateneo Lady Eagles against the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws at 4 p.m.
Still under multi-titled coach Ramil De Jesus, Taft- based La Salle will be bannered by reigning league most valuable player Majoy Baron, libero Dawn Macandili and finals MVPs Kim Dy and Desiree Cheng.
Star setter Kim Fajardo, a key component in the La Salle program in the last couple of years, has played out his eligibility but the Lady Spikers have expressed their “readiness” to pick up the cudgels.
In place of Fajardo is Michelle Cobb, who had her moments in La Salle’s championship run last year as an understudy.
UST GOLDEN TIGRESSES
Looking to spoil La Salle’s Season 80 debut while exacting some payback on the team for booting it out in the Final Four last season is UST.
Some stalwarts from last season, notably EJ Laure and Rhea Meneses, are not suiting up this time around for varying reasons, leaving the likes of Sisi Rondina and Dimdim Pacres to carry the bulk of the load and tow their team in the tournament.
UST coach Kung Fu Reyes said they will rely on team effort for Season 80 and that he is hopeful that other players would step up, including hitter Carla Sandoval, who is expected to take the place of Laure, who is skipping the season to have a chronic shoulder injury heal properly.
“We will try to play as a team and get contributions from as many people as possible,” said Mr. Reyes.
The Tigresses finished third in the standings with a 9- 5 record in Season 79 before losing to eventual champion La Salle in the semifinals.
Ateneo had the best record of 12-2 at the end of the elimination round last year, beat number four team FEU (8-6) in the Final Four but fell to the Lady Spikers in the finals.
UP and NU narrowly missed the playoffs with identical 7-7 records while UE and Adamson scrapped the bottom with similar 1-13 cards.