La Salle targets Final Four slot, battles FEU

MANILA, Philippines—Reigning champion De La Salle shoots for an early entry into the Final Four when it battles Far Eastern University (FEU) at the resumption Wednesday of UAAP Season 74 women’s volleyball action at the Arena in San Juan.

But Lady Archers coach Ramil de Jesus knows the semifinal berth won’t be easy picking against the Lady Tamaraws, who gave the Taft-based belles a tough time before yielding a five-setter, 25-22, 25-15, 23-25, 23-25, 15-11, when they met in the first round of the eliminations.

“Yung lahat ng nagpahirap sa amin sa first round, dapat mabawian namin sa pamamagitan ng magandang laro (We have to get back at those who gave us a hard time in the first round by playing really well),” said de Jesus, whose wards will be bringing an unblemished 8-0 record against the FEU side that is running third with a 5-3 record behind second-running Ateneo (6-2).

The De La Salle-FEU match is set at 3:30 p.m., right after the Adamson (4-4)-National University (NU, 1-7) women’s duel at 2 p.m.

The men’s matches pit University of the East (UE) against Adamson at 9 a.m. and FEU against Ateneo at 10:30 a.m.

At the Ateneo field, men’s football hostilities resume with defending champion UP and University of Santo Tomas (UST) eyeing their second straight victories.

The Fighting Maroons, who beat Ateneo, 2-0, on opening day last Saturday, take the field at 10 a.m. against FEU, a 1-0 loser to UST also on opening day. The Tigers, on the other hand, face at 3:15 p.m. a De La Salle side which was held to a scoreless draw by UE also in their first outing this season.

The other men’s football match at 1 p.m. pits the Red Warriors against the Blue Eagles.