The V-League Collegiate Men’s Challenge continues today (Sunday) at the Paco Arena in Manila with a high-stakes clash between UAAP finalists National U and University of Santo Tomas.
The Bulldogs and Growling Spikers, who have faced off in the finals over the past two years, are on contrasting paths this season, making their 3 p.m. showdown all the more intriguing.
The Bulldogs, under the guidance of head coach Dante Alinsunurin, are eyeing their third straight victory as they build on their dominant form.
“Paghahandaan pa rin namin kung ano ginagawa namin sa practice. Importante lang ay sa everyday na practice, dapat nagiimprove and every game, based sa situations, dapat magimprove pa,” said Alinsunurin.
On the other hand, UST is desperate to halt its shaky start to the season, having suffered consecutive losses to FEU and La Salle. The Growling Spikers will need to regroup quickly if they are to challenge NU’s momentum.
In the 5 p.m. main event, Ateneo will look to secure its second win in three outings as it faces off against Letran, which is still searching for its first victory.
Aimar Okeke will lead Ateneo’s efforts to bounce back after a four-set loss to FEU, while Letran’s John Bautista aims to steer his team to a breakthrough win after narrowly missing a reverse sweep against Perpetual last Wednesday.
In the women’s division, the FEU Lady Tamaraws and UST Golden Tigresses square off at 12 noon in a marquee UAAP match.
UST, led by Regina Jurado and Bien Arasan, is targeting their third consecutive win, while FEU, spearheaded by Faida Bakanke, Jean Asis, and Tin Ubaldo, will seek to halt UST’s streak.
UST coach Kungfu Reyes emphasized the importance of addressing their weaknesses and maintaining consistency in transitions:
“Kung ano ‘yung mga kulang namin, ‘yun ang pagtutuunan namin. Kung saan kami medyo mahina pa, pagtutuunan namin ng pansin. At yung consistency ng transition namin, ‘yon naman ang importante,” said Reyes.
Kicking off the day’s action at 10 a.m., the defending V-League champion St. Benilde targets its first win of the season against the University of the Philippines with the former to rely on Rhea Densing and Wielyn Estoque in a bid to snap their two-game skid.
However, UP, led by Nina Ytang and Kassandra Doering, is expected to put up a tough fight.
Meanwhile, NU Lady Bulldogs have withdrawn from the tournament due to their participation in two international training camps in Taiwan and the VTV Cup in Ninh Bình, Vietnam. As a result, their four-set win over Letran will not be counted in the standings.
All games will be broadcast live on Solar Sports, vleague.ph/live, and the V-League’s YouTube channel.
