BY ABBY TORALBA
DEFENDING champion La Salle tries to join pacesetting University of Santo Tomas on top today when the 86th UAAP women’s volleyball tournament resumes on a rare Tuesday playdate at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The Lady Spikers (8-1), who played without reigning MVP Angel Canino due to a right arm injury the last time out against University of the Philippines, are bent on continuing their winning ways against a struggling University of the East (2-7) side in the 4 p.m. duel.
Fourth-running Far Eastern University will go face-to-face against skidding Adamson University in the 2 o’clock curtain raiser in the women’s side.
Shevana Laput, who led La Salle to a hard four-set escape over UP last Thursday, is determined to fill the huge hole left by Canino, who has no timetable yet for her return.
“Of course, with Angel, we’re not sure, but definitely there’s the need to step up so I guess there’s that pressure but I’m glad that my team and the coaches have that trust in me but it’s only not just me, there’s Ate Leiah, there’s Ate Maicah, all of us. It just so happened that this game I had the most points,” said Laput, who fired 21 points against the Fighting Maroons.
Aside from Laput, also expected to bring in the goods are Jyne Soreño, Alleiah Malaluan, and Maicah Larroza.
On the other hand, rising rookie Casiey Dongallo looks to carry UE to its third win while continuing to long for more offensive support from her teammates.
FEU, for its part, knows that even though it is ahead by 2.5 games to closest pursuer Ateneo, the last Final Four spot is not theirs yet.
“Hindi naman porket nanalo kami ngayon against Ateneo tapos na kaagad yung usapan.
Meron pa rin kaming kailangang trabahuhin pa na ibang teams kaya hindi pwedeng maging complacent,” said Lady Tams head coach Manolo Refugia.
FEU is currently at 5-4 while Ateneo is at 3-7. Its opponent, Adamson, is at 2-7 on a five-game slump.
