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Morado downplays duel with Fajardo ahead of La Salle-Ateneo game

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/03/03/morado-fajardo-030317.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Ateneo&#x27;s Jia Morado and La Salle&#x27;s Kim Fajardo. <cite>Arvin Lim, <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/volleyball/photos">ABS-CBN Sports</a></cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – UAAP volleyball fans are keeping a close eye on the battle of the setters when archrivals De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University face off for the first time in Season 79 on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena.Ateneo&#x27;s Jia Morado and La Salle&#x27;s Kim Fajardo have led their respective teams to identical 5-1 slates, respectively, and the winner of Saturday&#x27;s highly anticipated match will end the first round with the solo lead.The duel of wits between Morado and Fajardo has regularly piqued fans&#x27; interests, especially as they have established themselves as the best setters in the collegiate ranks.So far, Morado has a slight lead over Fajardo in the best setter race, with Morado tallying 12.10 excellent sets per frame to Fajardo&#x27;s 11.89. Perhaps making Morado&#x27;s feat more impressive is that she gets those numbers despite the Lady Eagles&#x27; first ball problems. Ateneo ranks sixth in receiving with a 24.47% efficiency, while La Salle leads the league with a 38.84% rate, thanks in part to superstar libero Dawn Macandili.La Salle head coach Ramil de Jesus expects the two setters to go to war once again when the defending champions face off against their archrivals in what will be a rematch of last season&#x27;s Finals.&quot;Nasa sistema &#x27;yan eh. Kahit wala na siguro &#x27;yung mga key player nang mga huling season, hanggang nandiyan &#x27;yung setter, ganoon pa din &#x27;yung galaw noon eh,&quot; said De Jesus, whose team has become more and more reliant on utility spiker Kianna Dy in the absence of a veteran open hitter.&quot;So sa amin may Fajardo, sa kanila may Morado. Siguro sila na &#x27;yung pinakamagaling na setter ngayon sa collegiate,&quot; he added. &quot;Magkakatalo na lang talaga sa pasa. Kung sino may pasa, sila &#x27;yung may play.&quot;<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href=" http://sports.abs-cbn.com/uaap/news/2017/02/27/valdez-reyes-court-rivals-real-world-friends-22530">READ: Valdez and Reyes: on-court rivals, real world friends</a></li></ul>Morado, however, tried to downplay her duel with Fajardo, whom she has always considered an &quot;idol&quot; even as fans tried to pit them as rivals.&quot;Team sport ang volleyball,&quot; said Morado, who took over as Ateneo captain upon the graduation of Alyssa Valdez.&quot;So it&#x27;s not just her working – it&#x27;s the entire La Salle team,&quot; she pointed out. &quot;Same goes for us, na it&#x27;s not just me, it&#x27;s going to be all of us.&quot;&quot;The team that wins on Saturday is going to be the team that works more as a team,&quot; she emphasized.Fajardo, for her part, is more concerned about leading her younger teammates than in getting caught up with a duel against Morado. The fifth-year setter is the lone &quot;super senior&quot; in the La Salle line-up, and now more than ever, her teammates are looking to her for guidance.&quot;Ngayon, nakikita ko naman na kailangan kong umangat kasi ako na &#x27;yung pinaka-senior. Hindi naman ako mayabang pero ako na talaga &#x27;yung pinaka-may experience sa amin,&quot; said Fajardo. &quot;Ako na talaga &#x27;yung kailangan magdala ng team ko.&quot;&quot;Ngayon, tinitignan ko pa kung ano pang iba ang kailangan kong gawin para sa team ko para lalo pang umangat,&quot; she added.(For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website.</a>)

"Sa amin may Fajardo, sa kanila may Morado. Siguro sila na 'yung pinakamagaling na setter ngayon sa collegiate."

"Sa amin may Fajardo, sa kanila may Morado. Siguro sila na 'yung pinakamagaling na setter ngayon sa collegiate."

Morado downplays duel with Fajardo ahead of La Salle-Ateneo game

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Morado downplays duel with Fajardo ahead of La Salle-Ateneo game

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 03, 2017 02:00 PM PHT

Read More:

UAAP

UAAP Season 79

UAAP volleyball

De La Salle Lady Spikers

Ateneo Lady Eagles

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