THE grand-slam champions of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. women’s volleyball tournament aim to make a splash on the national scene as the Southwestern University (SWU) Lady Cobras face the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in the 9th Shakey’s V-League today at the Arena in San Juan City.
The Lady Cobras of head coach Jordan Paca and team manager Ryan Aznar have so far been unstoppable in the Cesafi, winning three straight titles.
Add to that the national Prisaa title that they captured last week and SWU appears to have the momentum they need to assault the Lady Tams.
SWU is gunning to improve on their fifth-place finish last year and will bank on reinforcements Genie Sabas, a former member of the Philippine youth team, and Philippine team member Nica Guliman.
Aside from the two, the Lady Cobras have a bevy of talent in the face of Prisaa MVP Raphril Aguilar, Danika Gendrauli and Lori May Layno.
FEU is also trying to bounce back from a setback to defending champion Ateneo and stay in the hunt for a quarterfinals berth in Group A.
Meanwhile, the other Visayan team in this competition, the University of St. La Salle Lady Stingers, aim to have a successful debut when they tangle with the formidable San Sebastian Lady Stags.
The Lady Stags rolled past the Adamson Lady Falcons in four sets then swept the Letran spikers to share the Group B lead with the comebacking UST Tigreses, who also beat the Lady Knights in three sets last Sunday.
But SSC is expected to have its hands full against USLS, out to improve its impressive third-place effort last year. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio