The Philippine Online Chronicles

A preview of the UAAP women's volleyball Finals

Thanks to relatively easy wins in the Final Four, the De La Salle University Lady Archers and the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses arranged a powerhouse duel in the best-of-three Finals in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women's volleyball tournament.

With women's volleyball in the collegiate ranks enjoying a growing fan base, more and more people are wondering which of the two teams has the better chance of winning it all. Here are a preview and a forecast of the upcoming Finals, which start on February 24 at the San Juan Arena:

The teams

Both teams are traditional powerhouses in UAAP women's volleyball, and in nationwide competition as well.

The Lady Archers boast a solid starting six as the defending champions of the tournament. They currently lead the league in blocks, a testament of the system employed by head coach Ramil de Jesus. De Jesus has consistently imbibed a systemic approach to the Lady Archers' net defense to great effect. Last year's Most Valuable Player Manilla Santos and blocker Michelle Datuin were the losses of the Lady Archers from last year's tournament, while two valuable rookies stepped up for the team this season—Joanne Siy and Abigail Marano.

On the other hand, the Tigresses are the tallest team this year and are the reigning champions of the Shakey's V-League. Like the Lady Archers, they play excellent net defense, as taller teams primarily do. However, the Tigresses and their powerful open hitters play a more aggressive offense than the defensive-minded La Salle. Their system reflects the playing-day prowess of head coach Shaq Delos Santos, who was one of the most powerful male spikers for the Far Eastern University Tamaraws during his prime. The Espana-based squad lost open hitter Bernice Co and libero Kim Lazaro this year, but saw the return of team captain Angeli Tabaquero and the addition of prized recruits Dindin Santiago and Maruja Banaticla.

The setters

Kaye Martinez may not be as flashy or as popular as her counterparts, but she has been setting quite consistently for the Lady Archers. La Salle's superior blockers and good floor defense have given her ample space to operate.

Meanwhile, UST's Rhea Dimaculangan is no ordinary setter—she utilizes tip-ins with uncanny intelligence for quick scoring. She is currently the league's best server, a fact that adds more firepower to her already-impressive arsenal.

Dimaculangan has the edge in the setter's match-up, thanks in no small part to her offensive edge over Martinez.

The blockers

Blocking is La Salle's strength, and they have been unbeaten in this department since last season. They have gotten even better this season, and it is no surprise that Joanne Siy emerged as the league's best blocker in her first year. The rookie has consistently displayed excellent timing in her blocks, allowing partner Jacq Alarca to focus on scoring via middle hits, fuelling the Lady Archers' scoring prowess.

UST's height is its might on the net. Rookie Dindin Santiago, who stands at 6'1”, is the tallest player in the tournament. When paired with 5'10” Maika Ortiz, the Lady Tigresses have a formidable defensive wall to intimidate shorter opponents.

The Lady Archers have the edge in terms of skill versus height, however, as their net defense played a major part in the team garnering a 13-1 record in the eliminations. The UST blockers, though standing tallest in the league, are relatively raw, but can score in large volumes on a good day.

The spikers

The spikers of La Salle are a good mixture of power and finesse. Team captain Paneng Mercado is the epitome of power while spiker/utility Charleen Cruz is a master of the art of soft spiking, with her nose on the defensive holes of the opponent.

In volleyball, though, power spikes are the hardest to receive. This is what UST's tandem of Angeli Tabaquero and Aiza Maizo deliver—explosive, imposing spikes from hell. The two spikers are the anchor of UST's high-octane game as Tabaquero and Maizo each score at least 15 points a game. Though the two have contrasting builds, their playing styles are nearly identical.

With UST having the offensive advantage in this regard, the edge goes to Tabaquero and Maizo.

The liberos

Being the better defensive team, the Lady Archers boast of one of the best liberos in the league—last year's Rookie of the Year Melissa Gohing. Nicknamed the “Lady Ninja,” Gohing beat the likes of Z Gervacio of Ateneo and Paulina Soriano in the Rookie of the Year race last season. Gohing faltered in her last matches against the National University Lady Bulldogs and the Tigresses, but quickly regained her form. In the Final Four game against the Adamson University Lady Falcons, Gohing played with significantly less errors. In order for the La Salle community's championship hopes to stay alive, Gohing will need to sustain her game come the Finals.

The Tigresses, meanwhile, play with two liberos, Jessica Curato and Jennifer Fortuno. UST's game doesn't maximize the services of the libero, instead relying heavily on fielding more scorers than defenders. Curato's precise reception game was instrumental to UST's V-League success. Fortuno, on the other hand, is seldom used and her abilities as a defensive specialist are yet to be realized.

In the libero battle, Gohing has the edge over the two Lady Tigresses.

The bench

The second stringers will be the Tigresses' biggest advantage in the series, with open hitters Maruja Banaticla and Juday Caballejo coming off the bench. 5'10” blocker Hannah Mance can bring the much needed relief to Ortiz and Santiago, while Kat Carangan is a good place server whenever the Tigresses get beset in their service game.

The Lady Archers, on the other hand, have a more shallow and inexperienced bench, with setter Carmel Garbin and spikers Michelle Gumabao and Elisa Cerveza providing minimal relief to La Salle's six. Either Gohing or middle hitter Abigail Marano will start in games as the two are the only bright spots off the bench.

The verdict

Both elimination round games between the two teams went the full route, so this match-up between defense and offense promises volleyball fans an intense ballgame. In the end, if UST will maximize its bigger arsenal, I'm pretty certain that the Tigresses will have a strong chance of besting the defending champions in three games.

Photo: “Volleyball” by Edward Lim, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved