Expect fireworks as National University and De La Salle begin their Finals showdown in the UAAP Season 84 volleyball tournament Saturday night, June 18 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Lady Spikers, who finished the second round at No. 2, face a gargantuan task of taking on the top-ranked and unbeaten squad in the Lady Bulldogs in their 5 p.m. encounter.
De La Salle is fresh from a sweep of Ateneo in the second stage of the stepladder and didn't need to use its twice-to-beat perk for an extension.
But the Lady Bulldogs are more than ready ahead of the Finals after getting eight days of rest, perhaps the longest downtime a team can get given the league's grueling schedule thanks to their 14-0 sweep in the eliminations.
Lady Spikers assistant coach Benson Bocboc, however, shrugged off the Lady Bulldogs being undefeated and considered the match as a crucial race of wins.
"Going to the game, I think level 'yong playing field," said Bocboc. "So I don't think may value dito 'yong 14-0 (ng NU). Umabot tayo ng Finals, we play best-of-three.
"So start from zero. Unahan lang tayo kung sino makakuha ng panalo," he added.
Interestingly, both squads boast a rookie-laden yet powerful core with Michaela Belen leading the Jhocson side while Alleiah Malaluan anchoring the Taft-based squad.
Belen and Malaluan are respectively the No. 3 and No. 5 top scorers in the league, earning 203 and 193 points heading into the post-season.
Aside from Belen, NU showed consistency and played like seasoned skippers as the likes of team captain Princess Robles, Alyssa Solomon, Ivy Lacsina, setter Camilla Lamina, and libero Jen Nierva proved to be a force to be reckoned with.
Malaluan will be needing all the help coming from Thea Gagate and Jolina Dela Cruz, who were phenomenal in the Lady Spikers' win against the Blue Eagles in the stepladder, to counter the Lady Bulldogs' powerful starters and deep bench.
Fifi Sharma and Leila Cruz join in the fray to provide some resistance on the net while captain-playmaker Mars Alba needs a laser-sharp focus and wise decision-making skills anew after tallying 19 excellent sets and producing three teammates in double-digits against Ateneo.
Game 2 is already set Tuesday, June 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the same venue as either team only needed two wins en route to the UAAP title.