Last year’s runner-up Perpetual and former champion St. Benilde have a shared mission when they start their campaign on Friday in the 95th NCAA women’s volleyball at Filoil Flying V Centre.
Stop Arellano’s bid for a fourth straight crown.
Denied of the triple crown last year by the Lady Chiefs, the Lady Altas will have the bigger ax to grind against the defending champions.
Perpetual coach Macky Cariño said their opening-day match against St. Benilde will be a gauge for their readiness this season, where the Altas will be without Cindy Imbo.
The Lady Blazers, the only team to break the Lady Chiefs’ dominance the past five seasons, are coming from a fourth-place finish in the recent Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference and also hope to stop Arellano by making their own bid for the NCAA crown.
An intact Arellano will begin its campaign against Lyceum right after the opening ceremony.
In the men’s division, Perpetual opens its quest for a third straight crown against St. Benilde at 3:30 p.m.