The 81st season of the UAAP women's volleyball tournament kicks off on February 16. Defending champion De La Salle Lady Spikers will be gunning for their fourth straight title. But with the rest of the teams upgrading their weapons and gaining significant experience in the offseason, the tough race to the Final Four looks pretty much unpredictable at this point. Here's part 2 of our preview. Read Part 1 here.
NU Lady Bulldogs
Season 80 record: 7-7 (Lost to La Salle in the Final Four)
Key departures: Jaja Santiago, Jasmine Nabor, Jorelle Singh, Risa Sato
Key holdovers: Audrey Paran, Roselyn Doria
The NU Lady Bulldogs failed to give superstar Jaja Santiago a fitting sendoff last year. After dominating the first round, they collapsed in the second round and barely even made it to the semifinals.
The massive hole that the towering Santiago left became a whole lot bigger when the team lost more familiar faces in the offseason. The Lady Bulldogs parted ways with coach Babes Castillo in January. Then Jasmine Nabor and Jorelle Singh will not play despite having another year of eligibility left. Risa Sato will also not suit up for academic reasons.
New head coach Normal Miguel will field an 11-woman lineup composed mainly of new recruits, but the good thing for NU is that these are no ordinary rookies. Most of them are homegrown talents who have won multiple titles in the juniors division.
Joyme Cagande, Jennifer Nierva, and Princess Robles will lead the fresh faces who will anchor the Lady Bulldogs' campaign. They may be young but they are known champions who are raring to strut their stuff in the collegiate level.
Ateneo Lady Eagles
Season 80 record: 9-5 (Lost to FEU in the Final Four) Key departures: Jhoanna Maraguinot
Key holdovers: Bea de Leon, Maddie Madayag, Kat Tolentino, Kim Gequillana, Deanna Wong, Ponggay Gaston
The Ateneo Lady Eagles' streak of finals appearances came to an end last season. After six straight years of battling for the crown against archrival La Salle, Ateneo was booted out in the semifinals by FEU.
Coming back with an intact core bannered by graduating players Bea de Leon, Maddie Madayag, and Kim Gequillana, the Lady Eagles will be looking to reclaim their place in the UAAP's grandest stage.
Former Ateneo men's team coach Oliver Almadro took over the post vacated by Tai Bundit, architect of the Lady Eagles' back-to-back title runs in Seasons 76 and 77. Almadro brings with him a wealth of championship experience, which the team hopes will translate in the women's division.
The Lady Eagles showed a preview of what they can do in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Open Conference where they made it all the way to the finals. They may have lost the trophy to powerhouse Creamline but it was still a successful campaign that proved that they are still one of the most formidable collegiate teams.
FEU Lady Tamaraws
Season 80 record: 10-4 (1st runner-up)
Key departures: Bernadeth Pons, Kyla Atienza, Chin-Chin Basas (shoulder injury)
Key holdovers: Jerrili Malabanan, Celine Domingo, Heather Guino-o, Czarina Carandang, Kyle Negrito, Buding Duremdes
Last season, the FEU Lady Tamaraws finally returned to the finals for the first time since they won the title in Season 71. Powered by two-way superstar Bernadeth Pons, FEU exceeded expectations by breaking the six-year trend of Ateneo-La Salle championship duels.
The Lady Tamaraws will head into Season 81 with huge confidence stemming from their bridesmaid finish. But they need to find a way to succeed without last year's best players in Pons and Chin-Chin Basas, who will miss the season due to a shoulder injury.
Skipper Jerilli Malabanan and reigning Best Middle Blocker Celine Domingo will take charge, together with veterans Heather Guino-o, Czarina Carandang, Kyle Negrito, and Buding Duremdes. Rookie Lycha Ebon is also expected to play a huge role and instantly deliver in her maiden stint.
De La Salle Lady Spikers
Season 80 record: 12-2 (Champion)
Key departures: Dawn Macandili, Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron
Key holdovers: Des Cheng, Michelle Cobb, Tin Tiamzon, May Luna, Aduke Ogunsanya
The De La Salle Lady Spikers' journey to a historic four-peat will be extra challenging as they lost key pieces in national team mainstays Dawn Macandili, Kianna Dy, and Majoy Baron.
But if there's anything that we've learned about DLSU's volleyball program, it's that the players have come and gone but coach Ramil De Jesus' tried-and-tested winning formula has remained effective. In his 20 seasons of coaching La Salle, he steered the team to 11 titles (including three 3-peats) and seven runner-up finishes.
The Lady Spikers will now rely on Des Cheng, Tin Tiamzon, and May Luna to carry the scoring load, while Michelle Cobb will continue to orchestrate the team's offense. Lourdes Clemente, former NCAA Best Middle Blocker when she was still with Perpetual, will help man the net in her first and only season for the green and white.
Anybody who wants to claim the UAAP crown will still have to go through La Salle and its two decades' worth of championship pedigree.