ATENEO and University of Santo Tomas clash in a duel of fancied teams today in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
The Lady Eagles have won six straight games, while the Tigresses are on a four-game winning run – the longest under coach Kungfu Reyes.
In a match-up of the league’s hottest teams, Ateneo is going all-out to stay on top in their 4 p.m. duel with UST.
University of the Philippines, which after a promising 4-0 start has suddenly dropped to sixth place, plays University of the East at 2 p.m.
With Jia Morado leading the charge, the Lady Eagles are on track for an eighth straight Final Four berth with a league-best 7-1 record, while the Tigresses are doing fine after a slow start with their deep unit to move up to solo third with a 5-3 card.
Ateneo is focusing on enjoying the game and the victories will follow as long as the Lady Eagles will follow coach Tai Bundit’s instructions to the dot.
“Team effort ang nangyayari,” said Ateneo assistant coach Sherwin Meneses. “Mataas ang confidence ngayon ng mga bata. Kapag naglalaro, parang walang standing ang iniisip ng mga bata.”
Reyes is simply looking forward to their match-up with the Lady Eagles.
UST hopes to learn the lessons of its 20-25, 21-25, 22-25 season-opening defeat to Ateneo, where the España-based spikers, during that time, looked at lost.
Since then, the Tigresses have been so cohesive as everyone is doing their share.
“Nagbubunga na ang mga pinaghihirapan namin. ‘Yung pagiging optimistic namin, nagiging reality na,” said Reyes.
The Lady Maroons, sporting a 4-4 slate, cannot be complacent if they want to regain the winning feeling that seemed to be abandoned, as the 1-7 Lady Warriors are such once stubborn team that play their hearts out in every game.
In the men’s division, National University seeks to move closer in sealing a Final Four berth against Adamson University at 10 a.m., right after the UE-UST duel at 8 a.m.
Games today
(Filoil Flying V Centre)
8 a.m. – UE vs UST (Men)
10 a.m. – AdU vs NU (Men)
2 p.m. – UP vs UE (Women)
4 p.m. – ADMU vs UST (Women)