NATIONAL University and La Salle, UAAP’s budding women’s volleyball rivalry, open their best-of-three championship series today at the fabled Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Lady Spikers, humbled by last season’s Finals loss to the Lady Bulldogs, swept their elimination round head-to-head this year, all in straight-set fashions.

La Salle frustrated NU, 25-10, 25-15, 25-21, last March 22, before scoring a repeat three days later with much closer scorelines, 26-24, 26-24, 25-16.

Having won seven in a row after those twin defeats, the Lady Bulldogs knows that they still have a title to defend with when Game 1 kicks off at 4 p.m.

“For me, Finals na ito. Ibang usapan na ito. Natalo man kami first and second round, tapos na po iyon. Itong Finals back to zero na talaga.

Dito na papasok kung sino ang gustong manalo. Kung sino yung mas gusto ng season na ito. Siguro po yung mindset namin, kailangan namin, nandoon na talaga yung goal. Mag-stick kami sa goal namin, and laban lang kami as a team,” said reigning MVP Mhicaela Belen.

“Hindi kami papayag na maagaw sa amin yung korona,” she added.

Alyssa Solomon and Belen has been NU’s 1-2 punch, while newcomer Vangie Alinsug also provided additional firepower this season. Setter Camilla Lamina and libero Jen Reyes, for their part, were able to bring back their old form for the Lady Bulldogs.

For super rookie Angel Canino, winning the championship will show the stuff the Lady Spikers have.

“Sobrang laki ng bagay na yun kasi yun yung goal namin sa team and yun yung goal ng bawat isa sa amin na mag-champion, hindi yung mga individual awards or kung anuman. Yung goal namin is mag-champion and after that doon namin mapapakita na ito kami, La Salle kami, kaya namin,” Canino said.

The Lady Spikers will enter the series as the hungrier team, as the Taft-based squad was able to retool its roster with Canino and 6-foot-2 Shevana Laput, while Alleiah Malaluan is getting back to her usual offensive self, fully recovered from a minor knee injury.

Jolina dela Cruz has been churning out good numbers not only on scoring on other skills, while La Salle’s net defense proved to be a headache with Thea Gagate and Fifi Sharma. Mars Alba’s playmaker has improved several notches higher this season, while libero Justine Jazareno has been solid on the defensive end.

In the men’s division, second-ranked University of Santo Tomas and No. 3 Far Eastern University dispute the remaining championship berth at 2 p.m.

The winner will face three-peat seeking NU in the best-of-three title series starting on Wednesday.