SSC, Ateneo try to keep V-League lead

San Sebastian-Excelroof and Ateneo try to preserve their hold of the lead going to the quarterfinal round but rivals Far Eastern U and Adamson go for a share of it as elims action winds up today in the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 second conference at The Arena in San Juan.


The Lady Stags, tied with the Eagles at the helm at 5-2, take on the Tams at 2 p.m. while the Loyola-based tossers battle the Lady Falcons at 4 p.m. at the close of the single round qualifiers of the season-ending tournament sponsored

Adamson and FEU tote similar 4-2 cards with both teams out to force a four-way tie for the lead heading to the six-team carryover quarterfinal round of the league organized by Sports Vision starting Sunday. Lyceum also made it to the quarters with a 4-3 mark while newcomers National U and Perpetual Help dispute the sixth and last QF berth in a playoff on Sunday.

Today’s matches are expected to go the distance with the Lady Tams and Falcons raring to spring a surprise against their more fancied rivals. FEU is hot on a trail of a four-win streak, bouncing back into contention after dropping its
first two matches.

Adamson, on the other hand, snapped San Sebastian’s four-game streak with a five-set win last July 29 and is ready to do the same against Ateneo, which is coming of a pair of tough five-set wins over Lyceum and St. Benilde before
sweeping NU in the tournament backed by Accel, Mikasa and Excelroof last week.

SSC will again pin its hopes on Thai ace Jeng Bualee, the league’s top spiker with a 42.62 percent clip and second leading scorer with a 22-hit norm, and a solid local crew composed of Suzanne Roces, Joy Benito, Elaine Cruz and Melissa Mirasol. But the Lady Tams, the league leader in service and digs, are out to neutralize SSC’s power game behind the talented Rachel Daquis, Michelle Carolino, Cherry Vivas, Kathlene Magsumbol and Rose Vargas.

Equally interesting is the Ateneo-Adamson clash with the Lady Eagles boasting of the other Thai import in the league, Boonyuen Surasawadee, and a slew of veterans in Fille Cainglet, Angeline Gervacio, Gretchen Ho, Bea Pascual and local guest player Alyssa Valdez.

The Falcons, league’s top receiving team, will be led by former MVP Nerissa Bautista, Angela Benting, Pau Soriano, Michelle Laborte and Gail Martin.