COMING off an impressive first round sweep, National 1University stakes its perfect record against La Salle in the resumption of the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Bulldogs are tipped to log their eighth consecutive win in the 6:30 p.m. duel with the Lady Spikers.

University of Santo Tomas, which entered the second round tied with La Salle in second place at 5-2, plays Adamson in the 10 a.m. curtain raiser.

In other matches, titleholder Ateneo takes on Far Eastern University at 4 p.m., right after University of the Philippines and winless University of the East collide at 12:30 p.m.

The Lady Falcons are sitting in fourth spot with a 4-3 card, a full game ahead of joint fifth placers Blue Eagles and Fighting Maroons, who sport 3-4 slates.

All eyes will be on NU whether it can pull off a double-round elimination round sweep which Ateneo last did the trick in 2015 en route in completing a perfect 16-0 season.

Enjoying their longest winning streak since stringing up 10 consecutive victories in the 2013-14 season, the Lady Bulldogs, whose core was formed from their highly-successful high school program, have a stacked roster in every position.

NU boast of a rock-solid offensive trio in Mhicaela Belen, Alyssa Solomon and Cess Robles, who are all in the top ten scorers at the end of the first round, as well as steady middles in Ivy Lacsina and Sheena Toring.

First-year player Camilla Lamina leads in the Best Setter race, while libero Jen Nierva is lording it over the receiving department.

The Lady Spikers hope to capitalize the week-long break to avenge their 22-25, 15-25, 19-25 loss to the Lady Bulldogs last May 10.

Rookie Alleiah Maluluan, who ranks third in scoring behind UST’s Eya Laure and Ateneo’s Faith Nisperos, is building as La Salle’s future with her offensive prowess.

The Lady Spikers’ frontline of Thea Gagate and Fifi Sharma hope to match the intensity of the Lacsina-Toring pair in the middle.

Laure, who recorded a league-best 160 points in the first round, has been the Tigresses’ glue especially when the going gets tough.

UST scored a 12-25, 25-19, 25-22, 18-25, 15-9 win over Adamson in their first meeting last May 17.

The loss ended the Lady Falcons’ three-match winning run, as the San Marcelino-based spikers hope to build another streak after ending the first round with a 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 romp of the Lady Warriors.

The Tigresses capped the first round with a 25-19, 25-21, 29-31, 33-31 conquest of the Eagles, in a thrilling match where Laure dropped a career-high 31 points. By Theodore Jurado