La Salle and NU players looks on as Lady Bulldog Aiko Urdas tries to receive the ball (MB photo | Rio Leonelle Deluvio)
By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Games Today (The Arena, San Juan City)
8 a.m. – Adamson vs UE (Men’s)
10 a.m. – NU vs FEU (Men’s)
2 p.m. – Adamson vs UP (Women’s)
4 p.m. – NU vs La Salle (Women’s)
Pacesetter National University tries to duplicate its impressive first-round victory over defending champion La Salle when they square off today in UAAP women’s volleyball at The Arena in San Juan City.
The grudge match is at 4 p.m. with the Lady Bulldogs out to improve their 6-1 win-loss tally and tighten their grip of top spot.
NU coach Babes Castillo and his stalwarts are confident they can pull off another triumph against La Salle, with their four-set loss to Far Eastern University last Feb. 28 actually increasing their resolve.
“Mas naging matatag pa kami after nung talo na yun,” said NU’s top gun Jaja Santiago, currently the second leading scorer in the league.
Santiago is expected to anchor the Lady Bulldogs, with her intimidating 6-foot-5 frame giving enough coverage behind the net while providing attacks from all angles.
Out to team up with Santiago are versatile setter Jasmine Nabor, spiker Risa Sato, blocker Roselyn Doria, and Aiko Urdas.
La Salle, however, is out for vengeance.
Trailing behind NU at 5-2, the Lady Spikers are set to erase the stigma of their 26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 25-17, 16-14 defeat to the Lady Bulldogs.
Challenging NU’s core are La Salle’s own triumvirate in Kim Dy, Majoy Baron and Desire Cheng, who combined for 45 points in their recent four-set win over archrival Ateneo.
Multi-titled La Salle mentor Ramil De Jesus said they finally regained their renewed determination, but they still needed to work on their endgame. “Yun na lang ang kulang,” he said.