Games on Wednesday
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
9 a.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Men)
11 a.m. – NU vs UST (Men)
1 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Women)
3 p.m. – NU vs UST (Women)
WIN and get in.
The order is clear as University of Santo Tomas (UST) aims to complete the stepladder Final Four there and then without any complications against reigning champion National University (NU) at the close of the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball eliminations on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
At 8-5, the UST Golden Tigresses hold their own fate in sealing the fourth seed and eluding a tie with the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws (7-6) with a win against the NU Lady Bulldogs in the main game at 5 p.m. FEU, at 3 p.m., needs a win against also-ran Ateneo de Manila University (2-11) and a loss by Santo Tomas in order to forge a knockout for the fourth seed.
NU (9-4) and Adamson (9-5) are already in as De La Salle University turned the traditional Final Four into a rare stepladder one after a 14-0 sweep. It’s the school’s first sweep since 2014 and the first in the league since the 16-0 feat of NU in 2022 led by the legend Bella Belen.
Adamson University is also on the lookout for the remaining duels, sporting a chance to tie NU for the second seed if Santo Tomas pulls off an upset.
The Golden Tigresses are locked at No. 4 even with a win with inferior points compared to the Lady Bulldogs and Lady Falcons given a three-way tie at 9-5, thus facing the loser of their possible duel for the No. 2 seed in the first phase of the stepladder.
And all of these scenarios depend on the Golden Tigresses alone.
But the vengeful NU is not keen on handing it on a silver platter, especially with its own need to seal the second seed for a bye in the stepladder against the winner of the first knockout stage.
In the men’s division featuring a preview of sealed Final Four duels, Santo Tomas (9-4) also has its own aspirations of forcing a knockout with five-peat champion NU (10-3) at 11 a.m. for the second spot and a win-once bonus while FEU (12-1) and Ateneo (7-6) collide at 9 a.m. — John Bryan Ulanday
