AN EXHIBITION match between the UST Golden Tigresses and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers from the Premier Volleyball League is set to headline UST’s Kickoff Party for UAAP Season 87 on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at the Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The game will feature renowned UST alumni Eya Laure, EJ Laure, and Imee Hernandez in a clash with the Golden Tigresses, the silver medalists of the UAAP Season 86 women’s volleyball tournament and the top-seeded team in the ongoing V-League Women’s Collegiate Challenge. Both squads are coached by Kungfu Reyes.

The match, scheduled for Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m., will be open for viewing to the Thomasian community, UST alumni included.

Aside from hyping up the incoming UAAP season, the exhibition game will also serve as a fundraiser to support the competing Thomasian student-athletes, according to IPEA director Fr. Rodel Cansancio, O.P.

“It’s just to hype up ‘yong incoming season and, of course, to showcase ‘yong mga events natin dito sa UST, especially the flagship events ng UAAP,” Cansancio told the Varsitarian.

In the previous seasons, the University’s Kickoff Party traditionally featured a basketball exhibition game between the UST Growling Tigers and a team composed of Thomasian basketball alumni standouts.

Cansancio said the rare opportunity of having a volleyball exhibition game between the Golden Tigresses and the Crossovers, who often practice against each other, came to fruition this year.

“Hindi naman talaga na everytime we have a kickoff party, ‘yong basketball [team] ‘yong magpa-participate sa exhibition game. It could be other events. That’s why we decided na volleyball ‘yong magkaroon ng exhibition game this season,” he added.

Channeling the theme “Growling, Stronger, Together,” the Kickoff Party will begin with a Tiger Fair at the side of the Quadricentennial Pavilion at 9 a.m., followed by a Mass at the Santisimo Rosario Parish Church at 10 a.m.

Gates for the pep rally will open at 1 p.m., with the party scheduled to run from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

It will be followed by a parade of athletes around the campus, and then the clash between UST and Chery Tiggo.

The opening ceremonies for UAAP Season 87, headlined by a one-off reunion concert by Filipino rock band Eraserheads, are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. with reports from Bjorn Del B. Deade

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