The air inside the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion always feels a bit heavy, especially when the stakes are this high. It’s that familiar, slightly stuffy mix of floor wax and nervous energy you only get on game days. Today, De La Salle University is back on the floor, hunting for win number 13 as they face off against the University of the East. It’s a bit of a mismatch on paper—La Salle is undefeated, sitting comfortably at the top, while UE hasn’t managed to pull off a win all season.
But as Misryoum reports, the Lady Spikers aren’t letting the standings go to their heads. They’ve rolled through their first 12 assignments, including that absolute clinic they put on against Ateneo last Sunday where they didn’t drop a single set. It’s been nine years—or eighteen meetings—since they last lost to their archrivals, which is just wild when you actually stop to think about it. If they beat the Lady Warriors today, the path toward a season sweep becomes much clearer, and that rematch against National University on Sunday? That’s going to be the real test.
It’s not just about the big teams, though. Adamson is in a real fight, looking to claw their way back into the Final Four for the first time in three years. They’re playing UP today, and honestly, the pressure is on. They pulled off a sweep against UST last weekend, which was a huge boost, but coach JP Yude isn’t taking anything for granted. He keeps telling his squad that nothing is coming to them on a silver platter—or maybe he said a ‘gift’? Regardless, they have to earn every single point if they want to stay in the hunt.
Meanwhile, the UP Fighting Maroons are just trying to keep their heads above water. They’re sitting at 5-7, and they need a miracle run to stay in the conversation for those final semifinal seats. It feels a bit like they’re running out of time, doesn’t it?
La Salle’s Lilay del Castillo mentioned that 12-0 is just a number. They’re trying to keep the pressure down by just enjoying the game, one point at a time. It’s a good mindset, I guess, especially when you’ve got veterans like Angel Canino and Shevana Laput carrying a lot of that weight.
Looking at the schedule for today at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion:
– 9 a.m. — UE vs La Salle (m)
– 11 a.m. — UE vs La Salle (w)
– 3 p.m. — Adamson vs UP (m)
– 5 p.m. — Adamson vs UP (w)
It’s a long day of volleyball. Hopefully, the court stays in good shape after all those matches. Anyway, we’ll see if UE can pull off something unexpected or if La Salle just keeps on cruising toward that finals berth.