COMING off a stint in the pro league, College of St. Benilde is favored when it battles Lyceum of the Philippines today as action in the V-League Collegiate Challenge resumes at the Paco Arena in Manila.
Gayle Pascual, Jade Gentapa, Michelle Gamit, Wielyn Estoque and Cloanne Mondonedo hope to use the experience they gained while playing for Farm Fresh in the Premier Volleyball League as the defending NCAA champions battle the Lady Pirates at 2 p.m., with an eye on breaking the UAAP’s dominance in the league organized by Sports Vision Management Group Inc.
St. Benilde is also going all-out to reassert its mastery of Lyceum, which it swept to secure its second straight championship in the NCAA last April that extended the Lady Blazers’ win run to 29 games.
The Lady Pirates, however, are no pushovers with reigning NCAA Best Setter Venice Puzon, who also saw action with PLDT in the PVL, anchoring the team’s campaign in the tournament backed by Bola.TV, Beyond Active Wear, ASICS and Mikasa.
In the other women’s game at 4 p.m., University of Perpetual Help collides with long-standing NCAA rival San Sebastian College.
University of Santo Tomas ushers in the four-game bill aired on Solar TV, the official V-League website, and Bola.TV, when it battles La Salle, with reigning UAAP Rookie-MVP Josh Ybanez leading the Golden Spikers’ drive.
The Altas aim for their second consecutive victory at noon against San Beda, to be handled by head coach Edgar Barroga for the first time.
The Altas held off Emilio Aguinaldo College 29-27, 26-24, 25-19, in the tournament’s inaugurals last Wednesday while National U fended off Far Eastern U, 25-22, 25-22, 25-19.
In women’s play, University of the East and Far Eastern U swept Enderun College and Mapua U, 25-16, 25-16, 25-20, and 25-13, 25-18, 25-15, respectively.
