Ateneo, La Salle stars clash anew in title duel

THEY’VE spent their entire collegiate careers battling each other for the UAAP women’s volleyball championship.

So, as Ateneo’s Alyssa Valdez and La Salle’s Ara Galang and Mika Reyes go at it for one last time, these league stars intend to go all out.

“We’re not thinking of leaving and saying goodbye yet,” said Valdez, a two-time Most Valuable Player.

“We want to focus on training. We don’t want to think about it, it’s not sinking in yet [that it’s our last year]. But it’s also an inspiration, a motivation to really push ourselves in training in the last two weeks. So even if we’re tired, we just think it’s the last stretch.”

Ateneo and La Salle clash in the championship series for the fifth successive season—a tie-breaking showdown as the fierce foes split the previous four.

Game 1 of the best-of-three unfolds at 4 p.m. this Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We’ve worked hard for this,” said Galang, also a former league MVP and best rookie. “So our team must work together so we can meet our goals.”

The Lady Spikers ruled their first two title battles, before the Lady Eagles captured the crown in the last two seasons.

And it may just be another unpredictable contest as the two rivals also split their two elimination-round meetings this year.

The Lady Spikers shocked the Lady Eagles in the first round with a masterful sweep, 25-22, 25-14, 25-18, that snapped the defending champions’ incredible 24-game winning streak.

But the Lady Eagles avenged that loss in five sets, 21-25, 25-22, 25-16, 21-25, 15-5, in their second encounter.

“I’m just really lucky to be there [in the Finals] again for the last time,” said Valdez.