Bitter, better title series under way

Games today (Smart Araneta Coliseum)

12 noon – AdMU vs NU (men’s finals)

4 p.m. – DLSU vs FEU (women’s finals)

MANILA, Philippines — Holder La Salle faces Far Eastern in a UAAP women’s volleyball title showdown that’s somehow different from the gut-wrenching duel that the Lady Spikers had against their archrivals  the past six years but certainly one that’s not wanting in quality and competitiveness.

Used to disputing the coveted tiara with bitter rivals Ateneo, the DLSU Lady Spikers have to deal with the title-hungry Lady Tams this time around but expect a similarly intense duel for the Season 80 plum beginning today’s Game One at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We played five sets in our first and second round meetings so this finals will be exciting,” said DLSU coach Ramil de Jesus ahead of the 4 p.m. series opener.

“Nakikita naman natin na nag-improve ang galaw ng FEU saka may gusto sila patunayan (We’ve seen the improvement of FEU and I think they’re highly motivated) this year pero ready naman kami (but we’re ready for them),” he added.

The Lady Spikers are on their 10th straight finals appearance, looking to extend their current streak to three while the Lady Tams are back in the Last Dance for the first time since their runner-up finish to DLSU in Season 71, determined to win the centerpiece event of the second semester again after 10 years.

“Talagang gusto namin makuha, ibalik sa Morayta ang trophy na pinahiram ng FEU before (We want to bring the crown back to FEU’s Morayta campus after lending it to the others),” said FEU mentor George Pascua.

The second-ranked Lady Tams spoiled a seventh consecutive title duel between Ateneo and La Salle by giving No. 3 Lady Eagles the door with a 25-20, 21-25, 25-14, 25-19 beatdown in the Final Four, while the No. 1 Lady Spikers took care of their business end by shutting out National U, 27-25, 25-22, 25-11.

Rivalry or not, DLSU braces for war with deserving challenger FEU.

“I think it’s gonna be the same (as previous finals against Ateneo),” said DLSU’s Kim Dy. “Iba lang ang aura pag Ateneo-La Salle, syempre andun yung school rivalry pero FEU (There’s a different aura with the school rivalry present in AdMU-DLSU championship but I’m sure FEU) will also bring their crowd so we’ll never know.”

“Sila ang nasa finals, ibig sabihin deserving sila, sila yung ka-match (They’re the ones who made it to the finals so it means they deserve to be here matching up against us). This will be an exciting finals,” said La Salle skipper Majoy Baron.

FEU skipper Bernadeth Pons is expected to lead the Lady Tams in their mission to break the drought and cop their 30th overall women’s crown.

“Mas ibibigay ko pa lahat, all-out na kasi last year ko na, last chance na namin. Nakuha na namin yung isang goal, ang pumasok sa finals, may isa pa uli na dapat pagtrabahuhan, ang makuha ang championship (We’ll give it our all, especially myself being on my last year, last chance. We’ve met our first goal of making the finals but the job’s not over, we have to work hard to get our next goal, which is to win the championship),” said Pons.

DLSU and FEU, two tough-serving teams, meet again nearly 10 decades after the Lady Spikers batch of Illa Santos and Steph Mercado prevailed in three over the Lady Tams team bannered by Rachel Ann Daquis, the only volleyball player to have her jersey retired by the Morayta-based school, and Maica Morada.

“Kung sino siguro mas may gusto, sino ang mas may puso sa game, iyon ang seswertihin (It will boil down to who wants this championship more),” said De Jesus, who’s set for a coaching battle with Pascua, a one-time teammate at FEU and fellow protege of the late great Kid Santos.

Meanwhile, rivalry takes centerstage over in the men’s division as top seed NU Bulldogs and four-peat-seeking Ateneo Blue Eagles contest the plum for the fifth consecutive season starting at 12 noon.

The No. 1 Bulldogs cruised to the best-of-three finals with a routine 25-13, 25-13, 31-29 dismantling of No. 4 Santo Tomas while the No. 3 Blue Eagles survived two must-win encounters, riding on Marck Espejo’s 55- and 37-point explosions to topple twice-to-beat No. 2 FEU.