La Salle, UST eye SSL finals berth

Games today:

(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)

3:30 p.m. — Saint Benilde vs UP

6 p.m. — La Salle vs UST

Familiar foes De La Salle University and University of Santo Tomas (UST) figure in an explosive knockout semifinal showdown in the 2024 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-season Championship today at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Action begins at 6 p.m. with the Lady Spikers looking to use the momentum of their unbeaten seven-game romp to hurdle the dangerous Golden Tigresses and reserve a seat in the best-of-three finals.

The double-header playdate will start with a 3:30 p.m. classification round tiff between College of Saint Benilde and University of the Philippines.

Still, the focus will be on La Salle and UST clashing for the first time since the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 Final Four. The Tigresses dethroned the Lady Spikers in a dramatic five-set decision.

La Salle and UST booked seats in the do-or-die semis of the league’s centerpiece tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, GCash, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, R and B Milk Tea and Summit Water in contrasting fashion.

The Lady Spikers needed to save two match points in a 25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 17-15, scary win over archrival Ateneo de Manila University in the quarterfinal last Sunday.

The lethal troika of Angel Canino, 2023 National Invitationals Most Valuable Player Shavana Laput and Amie Provido rescued the twice-to-beat La Salle from going into a sudden death.

With just a win away from a second finals appearance in the tournament after a runner-up finish in the inaugural edition two years ago, the Ladt Spikers hope to bring the same composure to get past UST.

“This (quarterfinal) game gave us the composure we need. This was our first five-set game of the tournament, and it tested our character. We’ll try to do better and be as composed,” Provido said.

On the other hand, the Tigresses cruised to their third straight semis stint after a quick work of University of the East, 25-22, 25-21, 25-21.

Angge Poyos, Regina Jurado, Kyla Cordora, Jonna Perdido and prized setter Cassie Carballo are out to lead UST back into the championship round after a runner-up finish last season.

Three-peat-seeking National University and undefeated Far Eastern University clash in the other semis pairing slated Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Lady Blazers and Fighting Maroons collide to advance into the next phase of the classification round of the competition which has Smart Sports, PLDT Fibr, Mikasa, Asics, Rebel Sports, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Commission on Higher Education, Philippine Sports Commission, and SM Tickets as technical partners.

The winner will take on the survivor in the other classification match between the Blue Eagles and Lady Warriors in the battle for fifth.