La Salle, Ateneo lead Eagle Ridge volleyball tilt cast

MANILA, Philippines - La Salle and Ateneo join 10 other squads in a post-Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) stint in the second staging of the Eagle Ridge volleyball championships today and tomorrow at the Sports Clubhouse of the sprawling Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club in Gen. Trias, Cavite.

Ateneo is out to spoil an expected showdown between UAAP finalists Far Eastern and Santo Tomas which is the same mission of Adamson, La Salle Dasmariñas, National University, St. Dominic Savio College and University of Perpetual Help System-Biñan in the men’s division of the brief two-day series kicking off a series of summer activities at Eagle Ridge.

La Salle, meanwhile, gets the top billing in the ladies action after emerging as this year’s new UAAP champions. Santo Tomas tries to exact revenge after its title-retention bid was foiled while Far Eastern and University of the East are also out to pull off a surprise.

The event open free to the public is sponsored by LG Electronics, Mizuno, Pepsi Cola Philippines, Inc., G&W Club Shares, Microtel Hotels & Resorts, DMD Cool Care Center, Inc., Ebenezer International College, Mayfull Resort, Golf’en Sky Travel and Tours Corporation and Arcilla Domini Graphics.

The men’s champion gets P40,000 plus a trophy and medals for the players, the runner-up P20,000 plus trophy and medals and the third placer P10,000, trophy and medals. Only the top two teams in the women’s side get cash prizes, trophy and medals with the winner receiving P20,000 and the runner-up P10,000.

Tournament format calls for the eight teams playing in the men’s division to be divided into two groups and go through a single round robin series. Top two teams in each group will advance in the step-ladder semifinals.