Arellano’s Andrea Marzan scores on a hit against UP’s Marian Buitre during their duel for the second semifinal slot in Group B of the PVL Collegiate Conference.
Far Eastern U and Arellano have two days to find answers to the problems that hounded them in the semifinals of the Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference.
Otherwise, they’re staring at a potential sweep that could forge a title showdown between National U and Adamson.
The Lady Tams are the ones in need of urgent answers after blowing a 2-1 set lead and dropping a 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-14, 15-8 decision to the Lady Falcons late Wednesday.
FEU will be scrambling to figure out what happened in that fourth set as they hope to force a sudden-death in Game 2 of the best-of-three semifinal series Saturday.
Playing without top hitter Bernadeth Pons, FEU had Adamson stranded on the edge of a Game 1 defeat only to falter in the last two frames.
FEU coach George Pascua is confident his players will redeem themselves in the next outing and pounce on the absence of injured Adamson ace Jema Galanza.
The Lady Chiefs, on the other hand, will be looking for remedies against NU star Jaja Santiago, who fired 24 hits to power the Lady Bulldogs to a convincing 25-17, 25-16, 25-23 win in their side of the semifinals of the season-ender of the league organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa and Asics.
“We weren’t able to solve Jaja and the girls were a bit intimidated by her,” said Arellano U mentor Obet Javier. “But I always tell them that through practice, we should be able to handle her (Santiago) and get back into the series.”
Victories by FEU and Arellano will force a pair of rubber matches on Monday.
Meanwhile, unbeaten Ateneo sets out for a finals stint as it guns for a sweep of UST in the men’s semifinals.
FEU, on the other hand, braces for a National U fightback in their Final Four duel.
The Eagles thumped the Tigers, 25-19, 25-15, 25-21, while the Tams pulled off an escape over the Bulldogs, 25-22, 19-25, 19-25, 25-22, 16-14, last Wednesday.