The second round of UAAP Season 87 will start March 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with Final Four teams from last season booked for heated encounters.
The NU Lady Bulldogs will stake their undefeated record in UAAP Season 87 when they face new-age rivals La Salle in their first game of the second round beginning this weekend at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Right after drubbing the UST Golden Tigresses in a thrilling five-setter, NU (7-0) will hope to stage a repeat of its dominant 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 win over La Salle from the season-opener last February 16.
But La Salle (5-2) has since jumpstarted its own campaign as the Lady Spikers currently tout a four-game winning streak.
The undefeated Lady Bulldogs will face the streaking Lady Spikers in the main game of the weekend on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
Earlier in the day, UST will be seeking to bounce back both from its loss to NU as the Golden Tigresses lock horns with long-time rival FEU Lady Tamaraws. The opening game will be on separate tickets.
UST, tied with La Salle with a 5-2 slate, will hope to keep pace at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, FEU (4-3) will try to rediscover its winning ways after the Lady Tamaraws previously seeing their three-game win streak snapped at the hands of DLSU in their first round closer.
But before the Final Four rivals meet on Sunday, another rivalry in the form of the “Battle of Katipunan” commences on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in the same Pasay venue with the UP Fighting Maroons (3-4) and the Ateneo Blue Eagles (2-5) jockeying for position just below the top-4.
Both coming off of momentum building wins to end the first round, UP and Ateneo are eager to make it a win streak with the Blue Eagles hoping to score a repeat of their first round win over the Fighting Maroons.
UP, for its part, will eye for revenge.
In the earlier game at 2:00 p.m., record-busting Shaina Nitura and the Adamson Lady Falcons (2-5) will try to end their losing skid at the hands of another win-hungry team in the UE Lady Warriors (0-7).