AFTER living up to the preseason billing on opening weekend, National University and Adamson dispute the early lead in an explosive UAAP women’s volleyball mid-week showdown today at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena.
It will be an epic duel between rookie Sam Cantada and last season’s top newcomer and history maker Shai Nitura in the league’s first-ever college volleyball matchday in España at 11 a.m.
Far Eastern University and University of the East seek to rebound from their season-opening defeats in an all-UBelt clash to cap the QPav quadrupleheader at 5 p.m.
It will also be a slambang affair in the men’s division, as the six-peat seeking Bulldogs play the dangerous Falcons at 9 a.m., while the last season’s runner-up Tamaraws go up against the Red Warriors at 3 p.m. Tickets for the Adamson-NU and UE-FEU doubleheaders are sold separately.
The Lady Bulldogs showed promise in their first match in the post-Bella Belen era.
Cantada shone in front of 15,215 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena last Sunday, as the Dasmariñas, Cavite native had 21 points and 14 receptions in NU’s 25-25, 25-19, 23-25, 26-24 win over University of Santo Tomas.
The match was poised for a decider when the Tigresses were two points away from set point, when Cantada put up a masterclass in the service area, as the 18-year-old fired three aces in the Lady Bulldogs’ 7-1 finishing run.
Cantada will be tested by the Lady Falcons, who have a solid offensive core led by Nitura, Nigerian Frances Mordi and rookie Abby Segui, and a crafty playmaker in Fhei Sagaysay. Incidentally, Cantada played for Adamson’s high school team for two seasons, won a title in Season 86 and emerged as the Season 87 girls MVP before transferring to Jhocson.
“Siyempre po yun nga po kalaban po sila hinding hindi sila papayag, kilala ko po yan, yung ugali nila pero siyempre hindi rin po kami papayag. Gagawin din po namin yung best namin palagi,” Cantada said.
First-year coach Regine Diego is making sure that NU won’t just rely on Cantada alone, as last season’s co-Finals MVP Vange Alinsug and Arah Panique are ready to step up on offense. Veteran setter Lams Lamina is always there with her calm demeanor and leadership in case Abe Pono struggles.
“We just have to play our game again, go back to our training, linisin lang namin yung mga kailangan pa naming linisin. We just have to prepare, scout them, every game naman we do that.
Kailangan lang namin ireview nang ireview kung sino yung mga kalaban namin all the time so that we can adjust and linis ng galaw namin,” Diego said.
Coming off a solid off-season, the Lady Falcons are determined to make a Final Final push.
Coach JP Yude knows that his team needed a collective effort to beat the Lady Bulldogs, whom they have defeated, 25-23, 15-25, 28-26, 25-22, in the second round last year.
“So, ayun lang, so we need always to help each other diba na NU kalaban so we know that they are strong team pero syempre kami we’ll do our best so that makuha namin yung panalo by God’s will sa Wednesday. So we need to always go back sa drawing board so that na maka-prepare kami ng maayos,” Yude said.
Nitura, who scored 16 points in Adamson’s 25-19, 25-18, 25-10 season-opening conquest of Ateneo, is very grateful and thankful to gain the needed support system from her teammates, who mostly have become part of her journey from high school.
“Yun nga, sabi nga namin since then back in high school, that’s the plan already—to compete in college. Nagbabaka-sakali kami na maiangat yung chemistry na nabubuo namin nung high school up to college, so let’s see kung paano po kami makakabuo ng chemistry and history through our people na pinrovide po sa amin ni God,” Nitura said.
For Nitura, she’s focusing on the Lady Falcons’ game, especially that the Lady Bulldogs still remained in top form with the unveiling of their new ace in Cantada.
“Pino-focus lang talaga namin yung paangat namin at mag-focus kami na mabuo kami. Over time naman, darating na ‘yun kung ibibigay ni Lord at kung makita niya na deserve na naman na makuha yung dapat naming makuha,” Nitura said.
The Lady Tamaraws and the Lady Warriors, meanwhile, are trying to avoid falling 0-2 this early.
FEU stumbled to La Salle’s 1-2 punch of Shevana Laput and Angel Canino in a 19-25, 14-25, 25-27 loss.
Gerz Petallo was the lone Lady Tamaraw in double digits in the opener with 11 points but struggled late in the third set, as coach Tina Salak needs everyone to get involved to remain as one of Final Four contenders.
UE, for its part, put up a fight in the third set and in the early part of the fourth before bowing to University of the Philippines, 12-25, 9-25, 25-21, 19-25.
Second year Bea Zamudio has showed a lot of promise in the season debut for the Lady Warriors, who are expected to bank heavily on veterans Van Bangayan, Khy Cepada and libero Angge Reyes this season.
Despite having a bevy of national men’s team standouts who have rich international experience, NU is not taking the field lightly.
“Yun nga eh parang ang sinasabi nila na kami na yung champion pero sabi ko kailangan namin trabahuhin although lamang kami sa tao, importante improve lang namin every day, every game yung gagawin namin para yung pressure at expectation ng tao unti unti namin makuha,” said Bulldogs coach Dante Alinsunurin.
Behind Buds Buddin and Leo Ordiales, NU opened its season with a 25-22, 29-27, 25-19 victory over UST last Sunday.
FEU began its redemption campaign with a 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 romp of La Salle last Saturday.
UE, on the same day, gave UP fits before dropping a 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 11-15 decision.
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