Adamson, SSC try to firm up final bids

MANILA
, Philippines - Adamson and San Sebastian-Excelroof seek momentum for their projected showdown for the Shakey’s V-League Season 7 second conference crown as they take on separate rivals at the start of the Final Four at The Arena in San Juan today.

The Lady Falcons and the Stags are slightly favored in the opener of the best-of-three series, simply because of their sweeps over the Lyceum Pirates and the Far Eastern U Tams, respectively, in the elimination and the quarterfinal rounds of the season-ending conference.

Although Adamson needed five sets to topple Lyceum last July 22, the Lady Falcons went on to assert themselves with big wins after big wins, including a pair of victories over the fancied Lady Stags.

San Sebastian
, meanwhile, posted a pair of 3-0 routs over FEU and is expected to go into its 2 p.m. match oozing with confidence with its sights trained on getting back at Adamson.

But the semis will be an entirely different phase with the Lady Pirates and the Tams building up their own momentum on their way to the Final Four. Lyceum scored a couple of sweeps over FEU and National U to clinch the No. 3 spot.

“Yes, it will be different. We have to come up with a new strategy (in the semis),” said Adamson coach Dulce Pante, who has whipped her crew into a championship-caliber unit.

The Lady Falcons, chasing their second championship in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and backed by Accel, Mikasa and Excelroof, actually swept the quarters in convincing fashion, making them the team to beat this conference.

“Hard training will be the key,” said Pante, who steered the team to victory in the 2008 first conference. “But we have to improve on our blocking, floor defense and reception.”

The Falcons and the Pirates clash in the 4 p.m. main game.

Meanwhile, the SSC-FEU clash will be shown on NBN-4 at 2 p.m. on Friday while the Adamson-Lyceum encounter will be aired on Saturday, according to the organizing Sports
Vision.

For live streaming of the games, log on to v-league.ph. Pante hopes to draw the best again from former MVP Nerissa Bautista, Angela Benting, Pau Soriano, Michelle Laborte, Gail Martin and Lourdes Patilano, who will go up against Mary Jean Balse, also a former MVP, Dahlia Cruz, Joy Cases, Jamie Peña, Ann Tabafunda and Marie Casanova.

Philippine Star