It may not carry the weight of a knockout game, but University of Santo Tomas knows that Saturday’s clash with listless University of the East in the UAAP women’s volleyball tournament is one of the many calculated steps it needs to take for the chaos ahead.

The 7-4 Golden Tigresses take on the Lady Warriors in the 1 p.m. duel at Smart Araneta Coliseum that, at face value, reads just like a breather.

However, head coach KungFu Reyes is looking at the match as a critical springboard his charges need to go through before the Holy Week break that could either sharpen or dull their edge.

“We look at the stretch as a normal [stretch] with a chance for rest,” Reyes told the Inquirer in Filipino as he nodded his head to give assurance.

Reyes went on to add that he is just glad that the team was able to distance itself from a three-game slide that threatened their campaign to an early end.

“I feel like we now have fewer worries for anything that may come along the way,” Reyes said.

Tough closing stretch

Now in the thick of a crowded race for a Final Four berth, Santo Tomas is preparing for a grueling finish to its elimination round schedule.

After the Lenten break, the Golden Tigresses return to action against host and wild-card threat University of the Philippines on April 23 before locking horns anew with defending champion National University, which actually put them on that midseason skid.

“We have plenty of plans. But one thing’s for sure: How they’ll train and recover from Saturday onward—those have been plotted.”

Reyes also believes the Holy Week pause couldn’t have come at a better time—not just physically, but spiritually. It offers the team, he said, a chance “to repent and reconnect” with their faith, to rebuild their relationship with God.

That moment of stillness could prove especially timely for reigning Rookie of the Year Angge Poyos, whose rhythm has been shaken by a dip in play.

Saturday’s assignment is actually less forgiving for both Far Eastern University and Adamson U, which faces off in the 3 p.m. contest.