With only a week left in the UAAP (University Athletic Association of the Philippines) Season 88 elimination round, the Final Four cast in women’s volleyball is nearly complete.
But the last two spots are a bloodbath between the remaining teams looking to enter the semis.
National University’s Lady Bulldogs officially joined De La Salle University’s Lady Spikers in securing a spot in the postseason with their straight-set victory against University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors on Sunday.
Four teams are still in the hunt for the last two coveted seeds, with three in the midst of a deadlock. Adamson University’s Lady Falcons, Far Eastern University’s Lady Tamaraws, and University of Santo Tomas’ Golden Tigresses are currently in a triple-tie with a 7-5 slate.
University of the Philippines’ (UP) Fighting Maroons stand at a 5-7 win-loss record. While things seem bleak, they still have a chance to break through the Final Four.
Each team has two games left on their schedules that will determine their final standings.
Three-team deadlock
With Adamson, UST, and FEU having the same 7-5 record, each team would need strong showings in their remaining games to secure a Final Four spot.
A double victory from any one of them will secure them the third seed, but losing even just one game will put them on the brink of elimination.
In case one of the three teams sweep their games while the other two split theirs, a playoff for fourth will ensue. If, however, the teams will be tied at 8-6 as the season ends, the one with the highest quotient will be ranked third while the remaining two teams will battle for the fourth spot in a playoff match.
Adamson and UST will not face each other in their remaining games. If both sweep their respective games, they would secure the third and fourth seeds, respectively.
For the third-seeded Lady Falcons, they would need to win against two competitors who are also gunning for a Final Four spot, UP and FEU, to lock their current place.
An Adamson win against FEU, however, can secure third even if they split their remaining games as long as UST loses one or both of theirs.
The San Marcelino-based squad will be leaning on the offense of the UAAP Season 88 MVP frontrunner Shaina Nitura and foreign-student athlete Frances Mordi to power them to a semifinals.
Ranked fourth, the Lady Tamaraws will face Adamson in a crucial match and the seventh-seeded Ateneo Lady Eagles who are already out of contention.
FEU could overtake Adamson for third if they beat them in their head-to-head matchup. Their green-and-gold will rally behind the net defense of Jazlyn Ellarina and the stable offense of spiker Lovely Lopez and setter Christine Ubaldo.
The Golden Tigresses, who are currently in fifth, will look to go up the ladder, but it would not be an easy feat as they will battle UP and NU in their next two games.
UST can secure third if they sweep their games and both Adamson and FEU split theirs. They will, however, have to participate in a playoff for fourth in case of a triple tie.
The España-based squad will have to rely on team captain Detdet Pepito to provide stable floor defense and the scoring Angge Poyos and Regina Jurado in their remaining games
Dark horse
Sitting at sixth spot, UP’s Fighting Maroons are still in contention for a semis berth, but it will be an uphill battle that requires both in-game execution and a favor from lady luck.
UP will be facing two other contenders in their remaining games, the Nitura-led Adamson Lady Falcons and the fiery UST Growling Tigresses. They would have to beat both teams for the first time this season for a chance to stay in contention.
Wins alone, however, does not guarantee them a spot. They would also need both UST and Adamson to drop their last games to secure a three-way tie for fourth with a 7-7 record to trigger a playoff between them to battle for the remaining Final Four spot.
With star winger Casiey Dongallo out for the season due to anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus tears, the Fighting Maroons will have to rely on three-time second best middle blocker Niña Ytang to push them to a Cinderella run.
UP will be the first among the four teams to battle. The team faces Adamson on Wednesday, April 15, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion (QPav). CS
Schedule of key games:
UP vs Adamson: 5 p.m., April 15, at UST QPav
Adamson vs FEU: 5 p.m., April 18, at UST QPav
UP vs UST: 1 p.m., April 19, at SM Mall of Asia Arena
FEU vs Ateneo: 1 p.m., April 22, at Smart Araneta Coliseum
UST vs NU: 3 p.m., April 22, at Smart Araneta Coliseum
