UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas tries to extend its perfect run to five matches as it plays rebuilding Ateneo, while Adamson and Far Eastern University collide with the fourth spot at stake in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Tigresses, who are enjoying their finest start since winning the first six assignments in the 2010-11 season, are not taking the Blue Eagles lightly in the 2 p.m. match.

“Actually, ang mentality talaga na ini-instill namin sa kanila is kung sino mang kalaban na nandyan, ilalaban namin yung laro,” said UST coach Kungfu Reyes.

“Yung every game, every point na ilalaban namin may possibility na manalo, so yung discipline namin and determination, paulit ulit namin sinasabi yun,” he added.

Ateneo, which is running sixth with a 1-3 slate, is coming off a tough 12-25, 22-25, 19-25 loss to defending champion La Salle a week ago.

The Lady Falcons and the Lady Tamaraws, who sit in fourth in fifth spots with 2-2 and 2-3 records, collide at 4 p.m. with the winner moving in the upper half of the standings.

Meanwhile, University of the East, through its new backer Strong Group Athletics, announced yesterday the addition of Kurashiki Ablaze assistant coach Shota Sato and opposite spiker Asaka Tamaru to the Lady Warriors coaching staff.

The move comes in light of coach Jerry Yee’s suspension for the remainder of Season 86 as UE now sits in seventh place with a 1-4 card.

Sato, who served as the assistant coach for Kurashiki Ablaze, a team that ruled last year’s PVL Invitational Conference under the guidance of Hideo Suzuki.

As the end of the first round draws closer, Brazilian coach Sergio Veloso hopes that the Blue Eagles have already adopted his program to move up to the standings.

“Now it’s time to prove the system. Now it’s the time to confirm what you learned before the tournament,” said Veloso.

UST showed toughness in victories against the league’s last two champions National University and La Salle, as well as in last week’s 22-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-7 win over traditional rival FEU.

The Lady Tamaraws are coming off back-to-back losses from the hands of the Tigresses and the Lady Bulldogs.

FEU is up for another tough opponent in Adamson, last season’s third placers which is fresh from a 25-19, 25-19, 26-28, 29-27 conquest of University of the East.

“They are a very good team,” said Lady Falcons coach JP Yude on the Lady Tamaraws. “But we must do our job for them talaga so that hindi kami mangangapa na kalaban namin sila.

“We must work hard for it pag kalaban namin sila. We have five days preparation so we must work for it para ready kami sa laban namin sa kanila,” the newly-minted UAAP high school girls volleyball champion mentor added.

Adamson has alternated losses and wins in the first four matches.

In the men’s division, FEU seeks to bounce back from its five-set loss to holders NU as it tangles with Adamson at 12 noon, while UST tries to check a two-match slide against Ateneo at 10 a.m.