Lady Cobras face acid test

CEBU’S FINEST, the Southwestern University Lady Cobras, gun for their very first win but will be hard-pressed to do so when they take on the reigning champions Ateneo Lady Eagles in the 9th Shakey’s V-League today at the Arena in San Juan City.

Far Eastern University  and National University collide today in a key matchup for a quarterfinal berth while Ateneo goes for a sweep of Group A in a crucial playdate with the playoffs nearing on the horizon.

The Lady Tams swept the SWU Lady Cobras last Tuesday to bounce back from an opening day loss to Ateneo and stay in the hunt for a spot in the next round also in Group A.

But the Lady Bulldogs likewise rebounded from back-to-back setbacks with a win, also over the Cobras.

That makes the 2 p.m. match a crucial one for FEU and NU with the winner joining Ateneo in the next round of the tournament. FEU hopes to neutralize the power-hitting Din-Din Santiago, who unloaded a whopping 31-hit game against SWU and a gritty NU side that includes Maricar Nepomuceno, Rizza Mandapat and Myla Pablo, and build the needed momentum for its final elims match against reigning NCAA champion Perpetual Help.

Defending champion Ateneo, meanwhile, is fancied to get past SWU in the 4 p.m. match for a sweep of the single round elims even as University of St. La Salle-Bacolod seeks to seal a quarters seat in Group B against former six-time champion and qualifier University of Santo Tomas in the 6 p.m. main game. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio