De La Salle University looks to secure a twice-to-beat advantage as it takes on Far Eastern University (FEU) in a pivotal match in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game time is set at 3 p.m., with the Lady Spikers aiming for a solo hold of the No. 2 spot behind league-leader National University (NU).
A victory by La Salle, paired with a loss by University of Santo Tomas (UST) against the Lady Bulldogs on Sunday, would lock in the Taft-based squad as the second seed heading into the Final Four.
Should both UST and La Salle finish with identical win-loss records, a playoff match for the No. 2 seed will be held at a later date.
La Salle will lean on its explosive trio — Angel Canino, Shevana Laput, and Amie Provido — as it tries to overpower the resurgent Lady Tamaraws.
FEU, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back after a tough loss to Adamson, highlighted by Lady Falcon Shaina Nitura’s 37-point explosion.
“There’s still a lot we can polish. But we never stop working,” FEU head coach Eddieson Orcullo said.
“What we need to do is to give our all — mind and heart — in every play. It’s not just about completing the task. It’s about doing the work the right way.”
Gerzel Petallo, Nigerian spiker Frances Mordi, and Chenie Tagaod are expected to carry the fight for the Lady Tamaraws.
On the other hand, a loss for La Salle — combined with a UST defeat — would trigger a three-way tie for second place among La Salle, UST, and FEU, all finishing with 9-5 records.
In such a scenario, the league will apply multiple tiebreaker systems, including head-to-head results, match points, and the FIVB Quotient System.
Currently, La Salle and UST each have 27 match points, while FEU holds 24, adding further intrigue to the Final Four race.
