Lady Bulldogs hot on prelims sweep

VOLLEY

Reigning champion National University shoots for sweep of the preliminaries when it battles Arellano University entering the quarterfinals of the Shakey's Super League Collegiate Pre-Season Championship today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

Still unbeaten in five starts and already assured of the No. 1 spot in Pool E, the Lady Bulldogs want no let-up against the Lady Chiefs (3-2) at 11 a.m. to open the triple-header action in the penultimate day of the carryover playoffs.

Far Eastern University (4-0) also tries to zero in on a sweep in Pool F against two-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champion College of Saint Benilde (3-1) at 2 p.m. followed by the main game at 5 p.m. between Adamson University (3-1) and University of the East (2-2), also in Pool F play.

But the spotlight is on NU, which swept the inaugural season to loom as the heavy title favorite anew in the second season of this prestigious collegiate tourney.

Under the watch of returning mentor Norman Miguel, NU has yet to drop a single set in its stellar run so far ignited by a wipeout of Pool A in the elimination round after trouncing UE, Jose Rizal University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos.

The Lady Bulldogs then picked up where they left off in the playoffs featuring the top two teams which carried over their prelims records, making short work of University Athletic Association of the Philippines rivals University of the Santo Tomas, 25-19, 25-20, 25-16, and Ateneo de Manila University, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15.

"We won't be complacent," ace spiker Mhicaela Belen, the former UAAP Rookie-Most Valuable Player who is banking on her support crew bannered by SSL MVP Alyssa Solomon.

Standing in the Lady Bulldogs' way are the undeterred Lady Chiefs, who promised to give their foes a run for their money after catching a big fish in Ateneo to boost their playoff bid.