Tamaraws eye playoff spot

Far Eastern University (FEU) is eyeing the first playoff berth as it squares off against a Letran College side eager to stay in the semifinal hunt, setting the stage for an electrifying Sunday clash in the V-League Men’s Collegiate Challenge at Paco Arena in Manila.

Currently tied with De La Salle University for the top spot with a 4-1 record, the Tamaraws are in fine form and optimistic about their chances against the Knights in their 2 p.m. encounter.

But coach Ed Orcullo remains cautious, aware of his team’s occasional lapses in focus.

“We should not relax because if you do, it’s going to be very hard to recover,”said Orcullo, whose Tamaraws are riding a two-game winning streak.

Letran, meanwhile, aims to bounce back from its four-set loss to University of Santo Tomas (UST) as it seeks to improve to a 3-3 record and remain in contention for a semifinal spot.

A win for FEU would guarantee it a top-two finish and a spot in the four-team, best-of-three playoffs starting 18 September.

In the 12 p.m. opener, UST is also focused on boosting its playoff hopes as it goes up against Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC).

The Golden Spikers have rebounded strongly from an 0-2 start, winning their last three games.

However, they remain wary of the challenge posed by the Generals, who recently stunned reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association champion University of Perpetual Help System Dalta for its first win after four consecutive losses in the pre-season tournament organized by Sports Vision.

Young guns Trevor Valera and Al-Bukharie Sali will look to maintain their strong play for UST, while Jan Abor and Mark Palatino aim to ignite a win streak for EAC.

“We are still focusing on mastering a new system. Then, we’ll prepare for our opponent,” UST mentor Odjie Mamon said.

In the lone women’s match at 5 p.m., University of the East (UE) takes on Letran in a battle of struggling teams.

UE, led by KC Cepada, seeks to build on its grueling five-set victory over Lyceum last Wednesday, which evened its record at 2-2.