REIGNING UAAP champion National University and third-placer Ateneo scored big sweeps in the 2022 Shakey's Super League (SSL) Collegiate Preseason Championship preliminaries.
Shakey's Super League news
NU dispatched NCAA Season 98 runner-up Arellano University in straight sets, 25-9, 25-17, 25-14, with rookie Myrtle Escanlar scoring eight big points in the last two sets.
In her collegiate debut, Escanlar did not let first-game jitters get the better of her and was locked in on seizing every moment to help her team.
"Sobrang kinabahan po ako, so ang mindset ko po coming here kasama mga teammates ko ay paghihirapan po talaga namin ito at ibibigay namin lahat," Escanlar shared.
Another rookie standout in Gena Hora led Ateneo to its second league win as the Blue Eagles made quick work of winless Jose Rizal University, 25-20, 25-16, 25-10.
Hora praised veteran coach Oliver Almadro's "purpose-driven" mentality in guiding her team to victory.
"Iniisip lang po namin [yung tinuro ni Coach O] na kailangan during games, may purpose at may goal kami palagi," Hora said.
With both teams still unbeaten, the Lady Bulldogs and Blue Eagles secure the top two slots in Pool C to advance to the next stage of the tournament.
However, only one of them will enter round two with a perfect record as the UAAP powerhouses square off Sunday.
The all-UAAP affair between NU and Ateneo at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum begins at 5:30 p.m.
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