University of Santo Tomas team captain Detdet Pepito in UAAP Season 87 women’s voleyball. Photo from UAAP Media.MANILA — University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle University are set to engage in a much-anticipated battle just before the UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball Final 4 officially opens.
A virtual Best-of-3 series, the winner between the Golden Tigresses and the Lady Spikers on Wednesday will be a step closer to entering this year’s Finals as what’s at stake is the twice-to-beat bonus in the semifinals which opens on Saturday.
Coincidentally, both teams are coming off losses in their last elimination round assignments as UST fell short against National University on Sunday, while DLSU was stunned by Far Eastern University the day prior.
READ: National U complicates UST’s twice-to-beat chances after winning 5-set thriller
READ: FEU stuns La Salle in 4 sets as Final 4 picture takes shape
However, for Tigresses team captain Detdet Pepito, that 5-set loss to NU should not hinder their hopes of entering the playoffs. Instead, what they should do is embrace and use it as fuel moving forward.
“Kahit papano, lumaban kami kahit kulang kami sa tao,” said Pepito, who had 17 digs and 14 receptions against the Lady Bulldogs. “Pero kagaya ng sinabi ng mga coaches, kailangan naming yakapin yung resulta ng game.”
A win by UST could have easily given them the No.2 seed with the semis bonus, but their disadvantages in the attack (72-54), digging (71-52), and setting (34-23) departments did not help their cause.
The España-based spikers are now shifting their focus to another modern-day rival of theirs, and they are ecstatic to have another clash with the squad which they eliminated in the Season 86 semis.
“Mean to be na nga kami,” said Pepito. “Pero actually, alam naman naming sila na yung makakalaban namin sa semis. Masaya kami at excited kami kasi La Salle yan. Hopefully, mapakita namin yung best namin.”
For UST head coach Kungfu Reyes, the team that can outlast the other aside from talent and depth will be the one who will come out on top.
“Even La Salle ganon din sinasabi na kilala na rin nila kami,” he said. “Alam namin sino staff nila, at alam nila at namin sino ang go-to guy ng bawat isa.”
“So patibayan na lang ng isip at dibdib itong labanan namin sa playoffs,” Reyes added.
First serve tomorrow is scheduled at 2:00 p.m., at the MOA Arena in Pasay City.
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