Ateneo, NU shoot for Shakey’s crown

The battle for women’s volleyball supremacy comes down to a sudden-death showdown as the Ateneo Lady Eagles and the National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs duke it out in the deciding Game Three of the finals series in the Shakey’s  V-League Season 10 First Conference today at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

So much is at stake in the 3 p.m. duel, including pride, honor and prestige. The Lady Eagles are raring to extend their reign in the conference they ruled in the last two editions while the Lady Bulldogs are out to stake their claim as the top women’s volley team in the land today.

Ateneo pounced on National U’s championship jitters to take the opener of the best-of-three series in three sets.

But the Lady Bulldogs settled down in Game 2 and showed their true might to fashion out a similar straight-set win.

While NU has the proverbial momentum – and firepower – in its bid for a breakthrough, Ateneo hopes to lean on its experience and poise to nail another championship in the league.

Ateneo wants no less than a championship to cap a dream three-peat, even tapping San Sebastian resident import Jeng Bualee late in the conference to bolster its frontline rotation that already includes Alyssa Valdez, Rachel Anne Daquis and Fille Cainglet.

But NU has established itself as the league’s emerging power, sweeping its way to the quarters and into the semis behind the 6-foot-2 Dindin Santiago and her equally solid spiking teammates Aiko Urdas, Myla Pablo and Carmina Aganon.