The last stretch of elimination round games in UAAP Season 87 will be packed with Final Four implications, with four teams trying to snatch the three remaining spots in the semifinals.
With a ninth win remaining elusive for last year’s semifinalists La Salle, UST, and FEU, there is a wide array of possibilities for what the standings will look like at the end of 14 games for each team. The UP Fighting Maroons are also still alive and kicking for a spot in the Final Four, thanks to their stunner over the Lady Spikers.
As La Salle, UST, and FEU hope to nab that final victory to gain entry, the Fighting Maroons will also look to spoil their plans and get the chance for their first Final Four appearance since UAAP Season 78.
Let’s take a look at the potential scenarios that can unfold before and after the Holy Week:
La Salle qualifies outright to Final Four if:
- - W vs Adamson, W vs FEU
- - W vs Adamson, L vs FEU
- - L vs Adamson, W vs FEU- L vs Adamson, L vs FEU, UP L vs UST/Adamson
The DLSU Lady Spikers (8-4) only need to win one of their two remaining games to enter the Final Four — regardless of the results of the other matches.
With one extra game remaining in their schedule, the Lady Spikers will have two chances to regroup after their shock loss to the UP Fighting Maroons last April 13, but both will be against dangerous teams.
In their return on April 23, they will battle record-breaking rookie Shaina Nitura and the Adamson Lady Falcons. Despite being out of contention for a semis spot, the Lady Falcons have been known to throw a wrench on the other team’s plans.
Powered by wins over NU and FEU, Adamson will try to catch one more big fish before they end their season.
Then, the Lady Spikers will be facing a win-hungry FEU side that will need the victory to cement their place in the semifinals, ensuring a high-stakes ending to their elimination round.
However, La Salle can also get into the Final Four even without wins in their last two games should the UP Fighting Maroons lose either of their matches against the UST Golden Tigresses, or the Adamson Lady Falcons.
Should La Salle fail to win either of their two games while UP sweeps their remaining assignments, UP and La Salle may have to face off in a winner-take-all match for the last Final Four spot.
UST qualifies outright to the Final Four if:
- - W vs UP, W vs NU
- - W vs UP, L vs NU
- - L vs UP, W vs NU- L vs UP, L vs NU & UP L vs Adamson
Just like La Salle, UST (8-4) will also have two chances to win just one game and get into the Final Four, facing the UP Fighting Maroons and the NU Lady Bulldogs in their last assignments of the elimination round.
The easiest route for UST and the rest of the field will be for the Golden Tigresses to hand UP a loss when they return to action on Wednesday, April 23, which will effectively seal the Final Four cast with the Fighting Maroons the only one left chasing the top-4.
Should they lose against the Fighting Maroons though, UST will still have another chance — albeit against defending champions NU in the second round closer. After pushing the Lady Bulldogs to five sets in their first round encounter, the Golden Tigresses hope to get one over their rivals this time around.
Similar to La Salle, even if UST doesn’t breach the nine-win mark, the Golden Tigresses will also be able to get into the Final Four if the Fighting Maroons lose their final game of the elimination round against the Lady Falcons.
Two losses from UST and a win from La Salle, though, may result in the Golden Tigresses having to go through a playoff for the last Final Four spot.
FEU qualifies outright to the Final Four if:
- - W vs La Salle
- - L vs La Salle, UP L vs UST/Adamson
The FEU Lady Tamaraws may find themselves in a win-or-bust situation when they face the DLSU Lady Spikers in their last game of eliminations, as the ninth win would assure them of a spot in the Final Four regardless of the results of the other games.
But La Salle, who are still continuing to chase the last twice-to-beat advantage, will have everything to fight for against the Lady Tams.
With only one game remaining in the schedule, and the surprising loss to Adamson, FEU now has limited chances to get into the Final Four. Luckily for the Morayta-based squad, they have already amassed enough victories to keep themselves right in the mix.
FEU still gets to qualify outright for the Final Four even with a loss against La Salle if UP loses either of its games against UST and Adamson.
If UP sweeps its remaining games and FEU loses against La Salle, they may have to go through a playoff for the final spot against the UP Fighting Maroons.
UP will qualify to the Final Four if:
- - FEU/La Salle/UST finish eliminations at 8-6; W vs UST, W vs Adamson, Playoff W
The UP Fighting Maroons will have the most difficult way into the Final Four as they will not only need to win all their remaining games in the eliminations, they will also need one of the three teams in the top-4 right now to finish the elimination round at 8-6.
That is, should FEU, La Salle, and UST all reach nine wins at any point in this final stretch, UP will not be going through to the next round regardless of their own results. This is because the three teams already have eight wins — the maximum number of victories that UP can achieve at this point.
Even then, if one of the teams fail to get nine wins, and UP wins their last two matches in the schedule, the Fighting Maroons will have to go through a playoff for the last remaining spot in the Final Four.
Still, the Fighting Maroons will be hard-pressed to get their chance as UP has not been to the Final Four in UAAP women’s volleyball since UAAP Season 78.