Ateneo eyes payback vs NU

Jia Morado appears to have an inside track on coach Tai Bundit’s mind both on and off the court.

The prolific Ateneo setter, whose perfect understanding of Bundit’s almost unintelligible instructions during matches enabled the Lady Eagles to fly high in the UAAP women’s volleyball, apparently knows her mentor’s thoughts on their hot streak.

“Even now that we are on a winning streak, we have to keep ourselves grounded,” said Morado. “Coach Tai keeps on reminding us that other teams are preparing very hard against us.”

Currently riding an eight-game winning streak, Ateneo hopes to secure a Final Four berth Wednesday when it goes up against National University at 4 p.m. at Filoil Flying V Centre.

The Lady Eagles are also out to avenge their first-round defeat at the hands of the Lady Bulldogs.

While things are doing well on the Ateneo side, NU is struggling to keep it together.

NU coach Roger Gorayeb, who has been vocal on his team’s seeming underachieving attitude, this time blasted his liberos for their spotty defense in their game against lowly University of the East.

“I told them that they defended well twice, thrice, but gave away the ball 10 times,” said Gorayeb in Filipino. “You are supposed to defend 1,000 times because that’s the job of liberos.”

In the other game, University of the Philippines faces winless Adamson at 2 p.m.