Triple-bill ushers in PVL Collegiate tilt

MANILA, Philippines — Reigning UAAP champion Ateneo collides with Letran while Far Eastern University and San Beda square off with St. Benilde and Adamson, respectively, in early clashes of the fancied teams in the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Collegiate Conference unfolding Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

The Lady Eagles parade a talent-laden crew made up of the troika of Bea de Leon, Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino, who anchored the team’s title run against the UST Tigresses in the UAAP women’s volley last May, as they try to launch their drive for another championship in the league which drew 12 of the country’s leading colleges and universities.

They include reigning NCAA titlist Arellano, which kicks off its campaign tomorrow (Sunday) against the Technological Institute of the Philippines side in another exciting triple-bill that includes the UST-Lyceum and Perpetual Help-San Beda clashes.

The Lady Blazers and the Lady Tams open hostilities at 8 a.m. with the Lady Eagles and the Lady Knights facing off at 10 a.m. and the Lady Red Lionesses and the Lady Falcons mixing it up at 12 p.m.

The field is divided into two groups with Ateneo, Perpetual, Adamson, San Beda, San Sebastian and Letran making up Pool A and Arellano, St. Benilde, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, UST and Far Eastern University composing Pool B.

The top two teams from each side after the single round robin prelims will advance to the crossover best-of-three semifinals with the winners disputing the crown in another best-of-three affair.

National University and University of the Philippines, which swept FEU in the finals in the first two years, aren’t seeing action this season, leaving Ateneo and Arellano, along with FEU, the teams tipped to slug it out for the championship.

But the nine others are ready to spring surprises in the weekend-only tournament held side-by-side with the PVL Open Conference organized by Sports Vision.