Bamcie Belen of San Sebastian College dives to save the ball during their Shakey’s V-League Season 7 game against Southwestern University on Tuesday at The Arena. The SSC spikers won, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17. (Photo by ALI VICOY)

Games Thursday (The Arena, San Juan)
2 p.m. – Adamson vs St. Benilde
4 p.m. – FEU vs USLS
6 p.m. – UST vs SWU

After witnessing how defending champion University of Santo Tomas demolished Far Eastern University in straight sets in the 7th V-League openers at The Arena in San Juan last Sunday, coach Shaq Delos Santos is convinced the Tigresses no longer need a second guest player.

The Tigresses played with only one reinforcement in former two-time MVP Mary Jean Balse, but it hardly mattered at all as they turned their match against the Lady Tamaraws into virtual workout, cruising to leads of 20-2 in the first set and 19-6 in the second before wrapping up the win in only 58 minutes.

“We may no longer look for a second guest player,” Delos Santos said in Filipino. “Right now, we’ll stick with Jean (Balse). They are doing well and I think adding another player might just affect our chemistry.”

Delos Santos’ bold move, which made UST the first team not to avail of the two-reinforcement rule since it was introduced in 2005,  will be put to test at 6 p.m. today when the Tigresses collide with Cebu’s Southwestern University and Thai import Pitaya Lasungnern in a Group A match at The Arena.

Clashing in the opener a triplebill at 2 p.m. are Adamson (0-1) and St. Benilde (0-1) in Group B before the 4 p.m. duel between debuting University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and Far Eastern University, also in Group A.

UST, which will celebrate its 400th anniversary next year, will be facing a squad different from the one it beat in the inaugurals, with the Lady Cobras powered by Erika Verano and an import who likes to score.

In the Tigresses triumph against the Lady Tams, FEU guest players Iyari Yongco and Ronerry Dela Cruz were content on letting the mainstays take charge at the net.

Lasungnern, a mainstay of Thailand’s national team who saw action in the Asian Youth Girls Volleyball Tournament and the World Youth Volleyball Championships, proved to be a scoring threat for SWU, the reigning Cesafi champion. The 23-year-old debuted with 14 hits in a losing effort against San Sebastian on Tuesday.

The student from the Rattabundit University in Bangkok will be the spiker to watch for UST coach Shaq Delos Santos who will try to devise a solid game plan stop her.

Reigning MVP Aiza Maizo, who showed she is in top form following a 17-point effort in the inaugurals, Angeli Tabquero, Maica Ortiz and last year’s top rookie Maru Banaticla will man the offense for UST, which is seeking a third straight title.

The Lady Tams, meanwhile, hope to bounce back from that loss as they try to regroup from a shocking development which saw their long-time coach Nestor Pamilar being replaced by Kid Santos last Sunday.

Santos said Pamilar, who was apparently demoted as a scout, is in the on going Palarong Pambansa in Tarlac seeking replacements for their current guest players who were blamed for the lopsided loss to UST, after combining only for a measly four points.