UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournament heats up as we headline four exciting matchup.
The Adamson Soaring Falcons 🐦 and defending champions NU Bulldogs 🐶 kickstart Wednesday action at the Big Dome!
It’s the first meeting of the neighbors as the Ateneo Blue Eagles 🦅 face the UP Fighting Maroons ✊ in the men’s side!
NU Lady Bulldogs after surviving the five-setter thrilling match against Ateneo clash with Adamson Lady Falcons side that is hungry to get a win.
A share of second place is at stake when National University and Adamson University face off in the UAAP Season 86 women's volleyball tournament, Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Falcons gun for a second straight victory in the 2 p.m. match.
Ateneo and University of the Philippines try to enter the win column at 4 p.m. in a showdown where first-year Fighting Maroons coach Oliver Almadro will face the Blue Eagles for the first time.
In men's action starting at 10 a.m., defending champion NU and Ateneo try to force a four-way tie at 2-1 as they face Adamson and UP, respectively.
Returning Lady Bulldogs coach Norman Miguel remains upbeat that his troops will get back to old form as the season progresses, after a shaky start to their campaign.
"Kailangang ma-relax ang mind eh. Iyon ang pinagdadaanan namin ngayon eh. Parang nago-overthink, siyempre di ba, yung may mga expectations. Yun lang, para mabalik ang connection with each other," said Miguel after the Lady Bulldogs survived the Blue Eagles in five sets last Saturday.
"Adamson has a good pass. May passing skills sila na kapag nakakapag-set play sila ng mabilis. So kami kailangan namin makapag-adjust doon. Nag-adjust din kami, pinag-aralan namin ang Ateneo dahil high ball sila. Pero siyempre, ganoon pa rin nagte-training ang kabila para mapuntusan kami," he added.
"The same thing, kung paano magte-train din ang Adamson, kami doubly hard ngayon na may mine-maintain kami, may talo kami. So as much as possible, tuloy-tuloy na ang wins namin. Doble trabaho talaga, blocking, passing and floor defense."
The Lady Falcons, last year's third placer, have split their two matches under new coach JP Yude.
After losing to holders De La Salle on opening day, Adamson recovered its bearings with a straight-set romp of UP.
"Ang sabi ko sa kanila na everytime, do your best and enjoy the game so that lalabas ang tunay na laro nila. Noong last game (against the Lady Spikers), medyo kumbaga na-overwhelm lang sila sa nangyayari, sa kalaban na malalaki," said Yude.
"Sa nakikita ko sa kanila, ito na ang start na makakakuha sila ng kumpiyansa for the next game kasi matibay ang kalaban namin kasi NU," the newly-minted high school girls volleyball champion mentor added.
The winner of the rematch of last season's Final Four will join De La Salle and Far Eastern University in second place at 2-1.
University of Santo Tomas is the only unbeaten team in the league with a perfect 3-0 record, highlighted by victories against the finalists in the last two seasons.
Coming off a tough five-set loss to the Lady Bulldogs where the Blue Eagles proved that they can compete, the Katipunan-based spikers are trying to avoid their second 0-3 start in three seasons.
The Fighting Maroons are also going all-out to secure the elusive first win.
Watch the collegiate volleyball tournaments LIVE via the UAAP Varsity Channel on Cignal CH. 263 HD, and via the Pilipinas Live app.
