No. 1 FEU seeks to extend its perfect run against UE, while defending champion NU looks to bounce back against UP as the UAAP Season 88 men’s volleyball tournament resumes on Wednesday, March 18.
Round 2 of the UAAP Season 88 men’s volleyball tournament opens Wednesday, March 18, with unbeaten FEU looking to stay perfect and five-time defending champion NU trying to bounce back from a first-round-ending loss.
The league-leading Tamaraws take on cellar-dweller UE Red Warriors at 9:00 a.m. at Smart Araneta Coliseum, while the Bulldogs clash with the UP Fighting Maroons at 11:00 a.m.
Both matches will stream live on the Pilipinas Live app. It will also air on One Sports and the UAAP Varsity Channel.
[RELATED: SCHEDULE | UAAP Season 88 volleyball guide, where to watch]
FEU closed the first round with a 7-0 sweep after beating UST and snapping the Golden Spikers’ five-game winning streak.
[RELATED: Tamaraws, Lady Spikers stand tall after round 1 sweeps in UAAP Season 88]
Ariel Cacao had 30 excellent sets and five points, while Dryx Saavedra and Lirick Mendoza scored 17 points each.
Mikko Espartero added 14 markers while Amet Bituin and Charles Absin also scored in double digits and helped power FEU’s balanced attack.
UE, meanwhile, enters the match with the league’s worst record at 1-6 and is on a four-game losing streak.
The Red Warriors lost to the Tamaraws in straight sets in their first-round meeting and now face the challenge of stopping FEU’s bid for an 8-0 run.
National U, on the other hand, is coming off a five-set loss to La Salle in its opening-round finale.
The setback dropped the Bulldogs to 5-2, tied with the Golden Spikers for second place in the standings.
Leo Ordiales scored 22 points in the loss, while Jade Disquitado added 18 points and Buds Michaelo Buddin chipped in 13 markers.
Buddin and Ordiales also remained among the top statistical point leaders in the men’s MVP race.
UP is also hoping to snap a four-game losing streak after opening the season 2-1. The Fighting Maroons will likewise look to get back at the Bulldogs, who swept them, 28-26, 25-23, 25-20, in their first-round meeting.
(With reports from Pao Ambat)
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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.]