The matchups for the NCAA Season 101 Women’s Volleyball Tournament are set for both the Play-In and the quarterfinals.
Which teams will be facing who? And which squads are likely to advance?
Take a look:
(PLAY-IN) San Sebastian Lady Stags vs JRU Lady Bombers
The first Play-In match in Group A features the San Sebastian Lady Stags against the JRU Lady Bombers.
San Sebastian ended the regular season with a record of 5 wins and 8 losses while JRU had only 2 wins and 11 losses.
In the elimination round, the Lady Stags defused the Lady Bombers in their two meetings. And if those results are any indication, San Sebastian might just be moving on to the next round.
(PLAY-IN) EAC Lady Generals vs Lyceum Lady Pirates
Down in Group B, the 0-13 EAC Lady Generals will battle the 4-9 Lyceum Lady Pirates.
Stacey Lopez of Lyceum stood out in their recent match as she ended up with 20 points built on 19 attacks to go along with an ace.
But can the scoring duo of Alex Razonable and Angel Joy Perez finally deliver EAC’s first win of the season? They better be at their best, or else the Lady Generals will go winless to end their season.
(QUARTERFINALS) Benilde Lady Blazers vs Arellano Lady Chiefs
The four-time defending champions Benilde Lady Blazers will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage when they play the Arellano Lady Chiefs.
Despite only being the second seed in Group B behind the Perpetual Help Lady Altas, Benilde appears to be rounding into their championship form. The Zam Nolasco-led squad even ended the elimination stage with a straight-sets victory against the Mapua Lady Cardinals.
The Lady Chiefs, meanwhile, will bank on Sam Tiratira as they look to extend their campaign. However, if the eliminations proved on thing, it’s that the Lady Blazers might just have too many weapons, what with Clydel Catarig, Cam Bartolome, and Shekaina Lleses forming a superb core that looks championship-ready.
(QUARTERFINALS) San Beda Lady Red Spikers vs Mapua Lady Cardinals
The 9-4 San Beda Lady Red Spikers will have a twice-to-beat advantage when they face the 5-8 Mapua Lady Cardinals.
Despite the Lady Red Spikers not having consistent momentum in Season 101, their open spiker, Angel Habacon, has been a lone bright spot in the team’s offense.
And between Mapua’s heavy reliance on Raissa Ricablanca’s scoring and their penchant for blowing tight games, San Beda’s chances are looking good, indeed.
(WAITING) Letran Lady Knights and Perpetual Help Lady Altas
The top seeds—the Perpetual Help Lady Altas and the Letran Lady Knights—are already seeded in the quarterfinals and waiting for their next opponents.
The Lady Knights of head coach Mayeth Carolino just swept the elimination phase with Judiel Nitura and Vanessa Sarie sparking the offense, Leonilyn Padilla anchoring the defense, and Natalie Estreller orchestrating things. With that much talent, Letran has no doubt emerged as the title favorites
Meanwhile, the Lady Altas have been the biggest revelation of Season 101, thanks in large part to the superb play of Cyrille Almeniana and Jem Menor.
Letran will face either San Sebastian or JRU, while Perpetual will wait for the winner of EAC versus LPU.
The Play-In tournament begins this Friday, March 11 at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.
