Unbeaten UST, FEU bid for twice-to-beat slot in Shakey’s Super League

Games on Friday
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
2 p.m. – UST vs FEU
5 p.m. – CSB vs NU

UNDEFEATED University of Santo Tomas (UST) shores up its twice-to-beat bid while back-to-back reigning champion National University eyes a quick rebound in the second round of the 2024 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.   

Game time is at 2 p.m. with the Tigresses (5-0) looking to extend their perfect campaign in Pool F against the well-rested Far Eastern University (FEU) (3-0) before the Lady Bulldogs (4-1)  shoot for revenge against the NCAA champion College of St. Benilde (2-2) at 5 p.m. in Pool E.

Santo Tomas, which swept Pool B in the first round, will ride on the crest of a 25-11, 25-20, 25-17 win against Ateneo de Manila University to subdue the fresher FEU from a two-week break.

Like Santo Tomas though, FEU is unbeaten in the pre-season tourney after wiping out Pool D and should not be a walk in the park for a Top-Two bid and twice-to-beat bonus in the crossover quarterfinals.

But all eyes are on the Lady Bulldogs, whose 28-game winning streak in the SSL since 2022 was snapped by rival De La Salle University Lady Spikers, 30-32, 25-14, 22-25, 25-21. 

NU slid to 4-1 in Pool E, needing to steady the ship to keep its bid for a Top-Two finish and win-once quarterfinal incentive with La Salle (4-0) and University of the East (4-1) by its wings.

St. Benilde, for its part, fell deeper in Pool E at 2-2 with a 19-25, 18-25, 23-25, defeat against UE, making it a perfect chance to deal NU another upset. — John Bryan Ulanday