Flanked by promising rookies, the UP Fighting Maroons hope to take winning start in UAAP Season 87 women's volleyball against the UE Lady Warriors.
The UP Fighting Maroons are looking to turn the page on last season’s struggles as they open their UAAP Season 87 women’s volleyball campaign against the UE Lady Warriors on Saturday, 1:00 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
After finishing at the bottom of the standings in Season 86 with a 1-13 record, UP is determined to showcase a new identity behind a mix of returning leaders and promising rookies.
The combination of Niña Ytang, Nica Celis, and highly touted first-years Kianne Olango and Yesha Noceja will spearhead the Fighting Maroons' bid for a stronger showing this season.
Meanwhile, UE, which finished sixth last year at 3-11, will rely on Khy Cepada and Angelica Reyes as they aim to build on their previous campaign.
The two squads split their season series last year, setting the stage for another tightly-contested battle.
Adding an intriguing layer to the matchup, UP recently secured commitments from multiple former UE standouts for next season, headlined by Casiey Dongallo. While those reinforcements won’t take the court just yet, the Fighting
Maroons are eager to send an early statement that their rebuild is well underway.
[RELATED: UE’s Khy Cepada stays resilient after key players leave for UP: 'Wala kasing hard feelings’]
Can UP begin its redemption tour with a victory, or will UE spoil the Maroons' season opener?
(With reports from Luisa Morales)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]