Unbeaten DLSU eyes top 2 slot vs FEU in UAAP women’s volleyball

Games on Wednesday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
9 a.m. – Ateneo vs UP (Men)
11 a.m. – FEU vs DLSU (Men)
1 p.m. – Ateneo vs UP (Women)
3 p.m. – FEU vs DLSU (Women)

UNBLEMISHED De La Salle University (DLSU) spikes for an outright top two finish and a twice-to-beat incentive apart from a bid of staying on course to an automatic finals berth against the dangerous Far Eastern University (FEU) in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Still perfect in 10 matches, the mighty DLSU Lady Spikers want no complication from their pursuers including the FEU Lady Tamaraws (6-4) at 3 p.m. following the duel between lowly University of the Philippines (UP) (5-5) and Ateneo de Manila University (1-9) at 1 p.m.

La Salle is the first team to clinch a Final Four spot for its 16th straight appearance as early as before the Holy Week break but that’s only one of the lofty goals for the wards of coach Ramil de Jesus in its serious redemption tour following a runner-up finish to National University (NU) last season.

Another win on Wednesday for La Salle to jack up its wins to 11 would push it to either No. 1 or No. 2 seed, regardless of the result of its last three games with University of Santo Tomas (UST) (7-4) and Far Eastern University (6-4) already having four losses each.

Those two teams sport a chance to challenge NU (7-3), which albeit has an opportunity to bump off La Salle for No. 1 by winning its last four games and the former losing the rest of the way, for the other win-once bonus.

Adamson University, at 5-5 after a costly loss to NU, is still in hunt for that incentive although it would need a bevy of scenarios to make it happen.

But despite La Salle having a full grip of its fate including a target of clinching an outright finals berth given a two-round sweep, Mr. de Jesus is not keen on getting ahead.

La Salle swept FEU, 25-19, 25-14, 27-25, in the season opener last February as part of its dominant start marked by only four set defeats in Round 1.

So far in Round 2, the Lady Spikers have lost two and they have no plans of slowing down even against the hungry Lady Tamaraws, who absorbed a costly 17-25, 17-25, 25-18, 17-25 loss to the streaking UST Golden Tigresses.

More than La Salle, FEU is in dire need of a win to tie Santo Tomas at No. 3 and stay in the coattails of NU for a coveted semis prize.

Meanwhile in the men’s division, league-leader FEU (9-1) also eyes an outright Final Four bonus against La Salle at 11 a.m. The Green Spikers (5-5), on the other hand, seek to gain solo fourth from a tie with Ateneo (5-5), which takes on UP (3-7) for a similar goal at 9 a.m. — John Bryan Ulanday