THE absence of defending champion Adamson won’t deprive fans of intense action in the opening day of the UAAP softball tournament on Thursday at the Rizal Memorial Diamond.
With the Lady Falcons not playing until Saturday, National University, last season’s losing finalist, leads the hostilities as it takes the field against De La Salle at 9 p.m., before third-placer University of Santo Tomas battles Ateneo two hours later.
In the third game, University of the Philippines faces University of the East at 1 p.m.
The Lady Falcons open their campaign for a fourth straight crown and 13th overall against the Tigresses on Saturday when the matches are played at the Rosario Stadium in Pasig City. Far Eastern University owns the most titles with 21.
Volleyball action also continues Thursday at The Arena in San Juan after a blockbuster opening-day last Sunday at a full-house Smart Araneta Coliseum.
UST, without four key players, takes on UP at 2 p.m. and FEU tackles UE at 4 p.m. in the women’s division, while UP meets UST at 8:30 a.m. and Ateneo battles UE at 10 a.m. in the men’s contest.
Winners of today's women’s doubleheader, which features last season's non-Final Four squads, will join defending champion De La Salle and NU for the early lead.
Hit by losses of their key players in the offseason, the Tigresses hope to rebound from last year's debacle of missing the Final Four bus for the first time in more than a decade.
Aside from losing Judy Caballejo and Maika Ortiz to graduation, UST will sorely miss power-hitting Maru Banaticla, who decided to forego her last playing year, and super sub Gi Reyes, who opted to skip this tournament due to pressing commitments in her academics.
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