La Salle eyes win over NU to challenge Ateneo in volleyball finals

MANILA, Philippines -- De La Salle clashes with third-ranked National University as it seeks a seventh consecutive Finals appearance Wednesday in the step-ladder semifinals of the UAAP Season 77 women's volleyball tournament at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Toting a twice-to-beat bonus for finishing seconds in the double-round eliminations, the Lady Spikers need only to prevail in their 4 p.m.showdown with the Lady Bulldogs to advance to the championship round.

Titleholder NU and Ateneo, meanwhile, open their best-of-three men's series, a rematch of last season's championship series at 2 p.m.

The Bulldogs are vying for their third straight crown, while the Blue Eagles are gunning for their first title since joining the league in 1978.

La Salle is playing for the first time in two weeks after dropping a 20-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-27 decision against Ateneo, last Feb. 18, giving the Katipunan-based spikers an outright passage to the Finals with a thrice-to-beat advantage.

Unlike last season where they jumped straight to the title round, where they bowed to the Lady Eagles in four games, the Lady Spikers this time will try to make it to the championship series the hard way.

La Salle is expected to have a hard time against a NU side playing with a lot of fire and energy under coach Roger Gorayeb.

Jaja Santiago, Myla Pablo and Jorelle Singh, who combined for 61 points against the Lady Tamaraws, hope to continue to provide big numbers for the Lady Bulldogs as they are pitting against the Lady Spikers' veteran trio of Ara Galang, Mika Reyes and Cyd Demecillo.

Finally embracing Gorayeb's system, NU went 7-3 since the multi-titled coach took over last January. The Bustillos-based squad hurdled No. 4 Far Eastern University in the first step-ladder match, 25-13, 25-17, 25-27, 25-23, last Wednesday.

Gorayeb knows that even the Lady Bulldogs are on a disadvantage against the Lady Spikers, they can do the improbable possible.

"Paghahandaan natin yan, malakas na team yan. Yung spirit nila, sanay sila sa mga ganitong laban. Tignan na lang natin kung ano ang mangyayari. Sana mapunta sa amin yung mga break against La Salle," said Gorayeb.

"It's going to be a tough battle for us. Marami kaming dapat ayusin," he added.
     
NU is favored against Ateneo in the men's Finals and coach Dante Alinsunurin hopes to sustain its Final Four showing, where it overcame University of Santo Tomas' twice-to-beat advantage.

"Kailangang mag-double time kami sa blocking and sa receive," said Alinsunurin, who had to deal the Eagles' tremendous firepower in reigning MVP Marck Espejo, Ysay Marasigan and Joshua Villanueva.

The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are getting back into the groove of things after an alarming three-game losing skid late in the elims behind Peter Torres, Rueben Inaudito, Edwin Tolentino and Berlin Paglinawan.

"Matibay ang NU, they are tall and talented. We need to be prepared physically and mentally," said Ateneo coach Oliver Almadro, whose troops eliminated No. 4 Adamson in the semifinals.
        
"We need to address how to close out in each set. We are aiming to get better," he added.