Games today:

(Mall of Asia Arena)

9 a.m. — UP vs UST (m)

11 a.m. --- La Salle vs NU (m)

1 p.m. --- UP vs UST (w)

3 p.m. --- La Salle vs NU (w)

Sweep or no sweep?

Stepladder semifinals or regular Final Four?

Unbeaten De La Salle University and three-peat-seeking National University (NU) meet in an explosive and much-anticipated rivalry showdown that will decide the semis format of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

All eyes, including those of other teams in contention for the remaining seats in the next round, are focused on the 3 p.m. clash of the two squads already through to the semis.

Secured of a top-seeding and a twice-to-beat advantage in the semis after a perfect 13-0 win-loss record, the Lady Spikers aim their arrows to completing their first elimination round sweep in 12 years for an outright championship berth.

If fate continues to favor the Ramil de Jesus-mentored team, La Salle will become the first crew to achieve the feat since the then-Bella Belen-led Lady Bulldogs won it all back in 2022.

However, the Lady Spikers would rather take care of business first than think of the result.

“We want to focus on what’s in front of us, which is NU. Take it one game at a time. Hopefully, we’ll be able to show our best in the game against NU,” La Salle assistant coach Gian de Jesus said.

The Lady Spikers swept University of the East last Wednesday to prime up against the Lady Bulldogs, who are putting all stops to prevent their Season 87 finals victims from advancing straight to the best-of-three finals that would trigger a stepladder semis.

La Salle defeated NU, 25-21, 25-19, 19-25, 25-17, in the first round back on 15 March, where skipper Shevana Laput and ace spiker Angel Canino scored 19 and 14 markers, respectively.

But even with momentum on their side, the Lady Spikers are not taking the Lady Bulldogs lightly.

“That’s what the coaches are instilling in us. One game at a time. We don’t worry about this streak that we have, that it’s 13-0,” Laput said.

“We worry about how we perform, and if we perform what we have done in training. Being disciplined in staying true to the system that the coaches are teaching us.”

NU, on the other hand, is on a three-game roll with a 9-3 slate in solo second spot.

A win will secure the Lady Bulldogs a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four and a No. 2 seeding on top of avoiding a complicated stepladder semis.

“We’re just not going to pressure ourselves too much, but of course, we need to prepare well, not just for this game (against La Salle) but for all the future games that we still have and hopefully, we make a change this time,” NU first year mentor and La Salle product Regine Diego said.

“Hopefully, we are more consistent this time and hopefully we get the chance to play our best especially in the next game.”

Top rookie Sam Cantada, team captain Vange Alisug, Arah Panique and graduating setter Lams Lamina are all ready for payback.

“For me, it doesn’t matter what the standing is. It was painful losing to them, actually, we’re using all our defeats as fuel to be better. We’ll do our best against La Salle,” Cantada said.

If NU drops the match, the Lady Bulldogs will fall in the stepladder semis. The squad will face University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday in a must-win end of elims clash to clinch a twice-to-beat advantage.

Meanwhile, the Growling Tigresses try to maintain the right course for a Final Four seat in a crucial battle against also-ran spoiler University of the Philippines at 1 p.m.

UST carries a 7-5 card and a win will secure the Tigresses at least a playoff for a semis seat. A loss will put UST on the brink of missing the semis for the first time in eight years.