UST, Adamson begin Final Four footrace out of three-way logjam
There are three teams currently tied at third place in the Final Four race in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.
Any team that gains a step above that logjam has the best chance of finding an uncomplicated route to the semifinals.
When the University of Santo Tomas returns to the comforts of home right out of the Lenten break, the host school understands exactly the advantage of its current position: Of those three squads, the Tigresses, on paper, have the easiest path out of that triple tie.
UST resumes its quest for a Final Four spot on Sunday when it takes on winless University of the East at its home court, the spanking Quadricentennial Pavilion tucked into one of the corners of its elaborate, self-contained campus along España in Manila.
Easiest foes
The Tigresses need to do their work and avert an upset in that 11 a.m. tussle.
The Lady Warriors are the hosts’ easiest foes in a four-game schedule to end the elimination round. And UST has the lightest four-game stretch among the tied squads at 6-4 (win-loss)
UST’s opponents combine for a 17-23 record and the Tigresses won’t be punching above their weight class until they face the National U Lady Bulldogs in the final day of eliminations. By then, NU would have likely wrapped up the No. 2 spot already and have little urgency for a win.
Adamson also sees action on Sunday at QPav, when it battles NU in the other game at 5 p.m. The Lady Falcons face the toughest four-game stretch where they take on NU, UST, University of the Philippines and Far Eastern U—the other team nursing a 6-4 slate.
Adamson’s foes have a combined 23-17 record, slightly better than the 21-19 win-loss slate that FEU has to deal with. The Lady Tamaraws kick off their four-game slate against La Salle, who are out to ensure that they stretch their 10-0 record into a stepladder Final Four.
Depth
FEU also has Final Four hunters Adamson and UP in its schedule.
The Tigresses have the advantage of no longer having to face La Salle and already owning the tiebreak against the Lady Tamaraws after completing a huge 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17 home win over FEU.
“We won’t stop until the season ends. Our goal is still there and we’re holding on to that hope of making the Final Four,” Angge Poyos, who had 21 points in that game, said.
UST hopes its depth will squeeze out the best possible record out of the last four games, with Reg Jurado, Avril Bron, Jonna Perdido, setter Cassie Carballo and libero Detdet Pepito forming a formidable rotation.
Adamson, meanwhile, is looking to get back at NU, which dealt the Lady Falcons a defeat in the first round.
