Lady Falcons aim to keep UAAP semis fate in own hands with win over Lady Tams

Adamson’s Shai Nitura

(UAAP Media Bureau)

Games Saturday

(UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena)

9 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (men)

11 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (women)

3 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (men)

5 p.m. – AdU vs FEU (women)

MANILA, Philippines — Adamson wants no complication in clinching an outright Final Four ticket when it tussles against fellow hopeful Far Eastern University in the marquee duel in the homestretch of the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Lady Falcons control their own fate, and they’re out to embrace it here and then at 5 p.m. for the main game of the double-header that also features Ateneo (1-12) and University of the East (0-13) seeking a graceful exit at 11 a.m.

At 8-5, Adamson holds a half-game lead over FEU (7-5) and University of Santo Tomas (7-5) in a neck-to-neck race, with a ninth win Saturday pushing it to the semifinals for the first time in three seasons without any knockout matches via tie.

A win by the Falcons would also complicate things for the Lady Tamaraws, needing to win against Ateneo in their final match and hope for a split from UST in its last two games just to force a playoff for the fourth seed.

Adamson eyes no part of this scramble on top of a slight chance to force a knockout for the second seed with reigning champion National University (9-3) should it lose its last two assignments against the mighty La Salle and UST.

UST, for its part, has NU and UP, which is already out of the race at 5-8, as its final businesses.

La Salle is way ahead of the pack at 13-0, sporting a chance to gain an outright finals passage and trigger a stepladder Final Four with a win against NU this Sunday in a gigantic rematch for its first-ever two-round elims sweep since 2014.

“Paunt-unti, papunta naman kami doon sa ginugusto namin puntahan. Pero syempre, we’re always and still a work in progress,” said Adamson mentor JP Yude, taking it one game at a time with the super duo of Shaina Nitura of Alas Pilipinas and Nigerian ace Frances Mordi leading the way.

Adamson bowed to FEU in the first round, 22-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-20, making it a perfect stage to exact vengeance and barge into the Final Four once again after finishing third in 2023.

In the men’s division, Final Four-bound Ateneo (7-5) shoots for a momentum-building win against also-ran UE (3-10) at 9 a.m. before FEU (11-1) goes for the No. 1 seed against Adamson (3-10) at 3 p.m.

The Blue Eagles secured a semis ticket after the Warriors dragged the hopeful La Salle Green Spikers (5-8) to the exit doors with a 25-21, 28-26, 26-24 stunner.