UP caps women's football season with La Salle stunner

c/o UAAP

Men's Semifinal Matches on Sunday at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium

4:30 p.m. - FEU  VS. UP

7 p.m. - Ateneo vs. UST

UNIVERSITY of the Philippines spoiled De La Salle University's warmup for its December 14 final against Far Eastern University, securing a 1-0 victory to close the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women's Football elimination round on Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium.

The only goal of the match came from Yoojin Kim, who converted a penalty just before halftime.

Despite the win, UP finished the season with eight points and a minus-nine goal difference, falling just short of a bronze medal to University of Santo Tomas, which had a superior minus-one goal difference.

UP head coach Andres Gonzales dedicated the win to the team's graduating players: Kim, Anya Fuentes, Zayin Penetrante, Martina Cloma, Roxanne Eduave, and Maridona Trajano.

“We wanted to dedicate this game to our seniors who sacrificed so much for the team, and they responded very well, playing with a lot of heart,” said Gonzales.

He added, “They could've just given up since we had no chance for third place, but credit to them—they really wanted to leave something behind, especially the seniors. They wanted to leave something memorable, and the younger players responded as well.”

Both teams struggled to create meaningful chances until the 45+2 minute, when UP was awarded a penalty after Stephanie Goñe handled Fuentes' cross in the box.

In the 81st minute, UP's Patricia Espinosa was shown a second yellow card for a high challenge on Maegan Alforque, leaving the Fighting Maroons down to 10 players.

Despite being shorthanded, the Fight Maroons thwarted La Salle's build-up play in the final minutes to hold on for the win and end their season on a high note.

Looking ahead, Gonzales emphasized recruitment as UP's main priority for the offseason.

“Actually ‘yong rebuild started last year but the players we got, kulang pa rin, in terms of numbers and in terms of players na kailangan namin sa certain positions that's why we had to convert many players, lalo na on our defensive line,” he explained.

“I would like to give credit to the girls because it has been a difficult season. Madaming struggles, we didn't perform as well as we had hoped for. but the injuries didn’t help also. we had a lot of new players, and then the sort preparations parang kulang in terms of integration.”

La Salle finished the eliminations in second place with 14 points and a plus-seven goal difference, setting up a fourth-straight final against defending champions Far Eastern University.

The game also marked a milestone as the first time all four match officials were women, with Jeannyfer Bruan serving as the head referee, alongside Annalou Arrogante, Cherry Bernabe, and Jycellia Diong as the assistant referees.

FEU readies for Women's Final with Ateneo thrashing

c/o UAAP

Men's Semifinal Matches on Sunday at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium

4:30 p.m. - FEU  VS. UP

7 p.m. - Ateneo vs. UST

INDAY Tolentin and the rest of Far Eastern University warmed up ahead of this Saturday’s Final with a 7-1 thrashing of Ateneo de Manila University in its last elimination game in the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Football Tournament on Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Field.

The defending champion concluded the eliminations in first place undefeated with 22 points on seven wins and a draw.

Tolentin reclaimed the league’s top scorer spot with seven goals after a quick brace from a spot-kick in the 44th minute followed by a perfectly-hit chance in front of goal before halftime.

Despite the win, FEU head coach Let Dimzon said the Lady Tamaraws are still working on their ability to control the ball in the final-third ahead of their date with the De La Salle Lady Booters.

“I think ‘yong wino-work namin in front of the attacking third, I think this game nag work siya. ‘yon ‘yong hinanap talaga namin,“ Dimzon said.

“Malakas yong attacking namin, kaya naming ihold yung opponents inside their pitch pero yong nagiging problem lang talaga namin is yong mga final touches when it comes inside the box and outside the box,” she added.

“Ayon lang talaga yong kailangan namin tutukan as of now.”

FEU one-upped their 3-0 first round performance against the Blue Eagles with a plethora of goals scattered throughout the team.

Angel Egay opened the onslaught in the seventh minute after scoring a slick header past Ateneo goalkeeper Chelssy Casals. Althea Rebosura's long-strike in the ninth minute doubled FEU’s advantage.

Nikk Duran and Carmela Altiche added to the Lady Tamaraws’ lead in the 33rd and 37th minutes respectively to make it 4-0.

Blue Eagles forward Angely Alferez grabbed a consolation goal in the 54th minute off a set piece.

Egay followed in Tolentin’s footsteps with a brace for herself to complete the rout.

Moreover, Dimzon also reiterated the team’s focus this season: to win its third straight title.

“Kailangan lang talaga maging composed yung players, and then again, they have to stay in the ground,” she said.

“Di porket nakuha na namin from the last season we were able to win the games last season, kailangan pa rin we have to be focused and kunin kung ano ‘yong objective namin for this season, kailangan talaga mag champion,” added Dimzon.

Ateneo ended its Season 87 campaign in last place with four points and a minus-16 goal difference.

Cantada leads outstanding athletes in Girls Volleyball

c/o UAAP

FOR the second consecutive season, the UAAP High School Girls’ Volleyball Most Valuable Player hails from Adamson University.

Sam Cantada was named the UAAP Season 87 MVP after leading the Lady Baby Falcons to back-to-back Finals appearances in the girls' volleyball tournament. 

Last season, Shaina Nitura became the first-ever MVP from Adamson, marking a historic achievement for the school.

The 5-foot-7 outside spiker from Dasmariñas, Cavite was the tournament’s leading scorer after the elimination round, amassing 180 points through 134 attacks (on 34.01% efficiency), 14 blocks, and a league-leading 32 aces. She also ranked as the seventh-best receiver with 20.57% efficiency.

“For me po talaga, itong Season MVP po na ‘to ay kine-credit ko po sa buong team kasi di ko naman po ‘to makukuha nang wala pong collective efforts po nila,” said the 17-year-old during the awarding ceremony held after Adamson’s Game 2 loss to National University Nazareth School on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavillion Arena.

Cantada's teammate, Ellaine Gonzalvo, earned the Rookie of the Year honors.

Joining Cantada in the UAAP Mythical Team are University of Santo Tomas' Avil Bron and Lianne Penuliar (Best Middle Blockers); National University Nazareth School’s Den Daylisan (2nd Best Outside Spiker); FEU-Diliman’s Aleah Devosora (Best Opposite Spiker); Sheena Cafe (Best Setter); and De La Salle-Zobel’s Angel Cenizal (Best Libero).

Bron and Penuliar anchored the Junior Golden Tigresses' defense, with Bron leading the league in blocks at 0.66 per set and Penuliar tying for second with 0.57 per set.

Daylisan was the second-best scorer after the elimination round, tallying 144 points, highlighted by her 33.43% attack success rate and 0.71 aces per set. She also ranked sixth in receiving with a 22.29% efficiency.

Devosora ranked third in scoring with 144 points, placing sixth in attack success rate at 31.75%, sixth in blocks with 0.38 per set, and eighth in service aces with 0.50.

Cafe was the top setter, averaging 2.86 excellent sets per set, while also placing 26th in scoring with 51 points.

Cenizal led the league in both digs (3.78 per set) and receiving efficiency (34.2%).

Antonio leads Boys Volleyball individual awardees

c/o UAAP

A University of the East Junior Warrior has once again claimed the Most Valuable Player honor in the UAAP High School Boys’ Volleyball Tournament.

Christian Antonio was named the MVP for UAAP Season 87 after an exceptional Grade 12 campaign, leading UE to a bronze-medal finish.

The 18-year-old outside hitter from Pasig City dominated the league as its top scorer, racking up 180 points with a league-high 49% attacking efficiency and a ninth-best 0.30 aces per set. Standing at 6 feet tall, Antonio also showcased his versatility as the tournament’s fifth-best receiver with a 31.39% efficiency.

"'Di ko rin po expect 'to, ginawa ko lang din po 'yung best ko sa team po. 'Di ko rin po ine-expect itong award na 'to pero napasahan po ako nito," said Antonio after receiving the accolade.

Antonio becomes the seventh MVP in UE’s history, following in the footsteps of Michael Reyes (Season 71), Morrissey Garcia (Season 72), Kim Relcopan (Season 73), Edward Camposano (Seasons 74-76), Ron Medalla (Season 77), and Shaun Ledesma (Season 78).

Joining Antonio on the All-UAAP Team are National University-Nazareth School’s Miguel Egger and UE’s Clarence Gianan as the Best Middle Blockers; Far Eastern University-Diliman’s Zedrick Calimlim and Kenneth Maliwanag as Best Outside Spiker and Best Opposite Spiker, respectively; Adamson University’s Jhon Guevarra as Best Libero; and NUNS’s Kalel Ronquillo as Best Setter.

Egger, who clinched his third consecutive Best Middle Blocker award, delivered a second-best 0.54 blocks per set and finished seventh in scoring with 138 points. Gianan led the league in blocking with 0.58 blocks per set and contributed 111 points to rank as the 15th best scorer.

Calimlim shone as the second-best scorer in the tournament, amassing 177 points and topping the service ace leaderboard with 0.56 aces per set. Maliwanag, who also earned Rookie of the Year honors, ranked third in scoring with 175 points and placed sixth in blocking with 0.4 blocks per set.

Guevarra emerged as the league’s top receiver in the elimination round with an impressive 51.46% efficiency rate, while Ronquillo distributed a second-best 3.39 excellent sets per set and ranked eighth in serving with 0.33 aces per set.

Rizal Memorial ready for UAAP Final Four

c/o UAAP

Semifinal Matches Sunday at Rizal Memorial Stadium

4:30 p.m. — UP vs FEU

7 p.m. — Ateneo vs UST

The UAAP Season 87 men’s football semifinals promise high-stakes action starting on Sunday afternoon at Rizal Memorial Stadium, with defending champion University of the Philippines taking on Far Eastern University in a rematch of last season’s final, and top-seeded Ateneo de Manila University facing fourth-ranked University of Santo Tomas in a heated evening showdown.

With final berths on the line, the stage is set for two thrilling encounters that could define the season's legacy.

UP and FEU are no strangers to tight contests, having battled to two hard-fought draws—1-1 and 2-2—during the elimination round. With just two points separating their standings (UP at 26 and FEU at 24), both squads are eager to break the deadlock in the semis.

UP coach Popoy Clarino emphasized the need for readiness and resilience as the Fighting Maroons aim to defend their crown.

“It’s a whole different game,” said Clarino. “Last year, we were against UST who came out really strong. Ateneo was the fourth seed and almost beat FEU, the first-seed team. So, it’s anyone’s game, and that’s the beauty of football.”

Clarino added: “We just have to prepare physically and mentally, and hopefully, we’re very eager to play the semifinals. We have to stay consistent, work harder, and be hungrier than ever.”

On the other hand, FEU coach Roman Oliver exudes confidence in his squad.

The Spanish mentor pointed out that despite challenging circumstances, UP has yet to secure a win against the Tamaraws this season.

“We have the full squad ready for the Final Four,” said Oliver. “I smell the fear in their faces, so let’s play again. It’s going to be a different story. We had handicaps in the first leg when we only had three days to prepare, and today we played with just 13 players. They haven’t beaten us yet, so let’s see what happens when we’re at full strength.”

The evening match sees Ateneo, the top seed with 28 points, looking to complete a season sweep of UST, which finished with 14 points.

The Blue Eagles bested the Golden Booters twice in the eliminations, securing a 2-0 victory in the first round and a narrow 3-2 win just last week.

Ateneo’s charge is led by the prolific Dov Cariño, the league’s leading scorer with 11 goals, three of which came against UST.

Despite his team’s dominance over their opponents, Blue Eagles coach JP Merida stressed the importance of staying sharp.

“We consider this as game one,” said Merida. “Game two will be next week at Rizal. Most of their main players weren’t there last time, like TJ Garciano and Chris Valderama. Same with us. Hopefully, our injured players, like Fonzy Escobin, can recover. We’re looking forward to performing well in the semis, and we’re ready for UST.”

UST coach Marjo Allado, meanwhile, sees the semifinal as a fresh start. Despite losing twice to Ateneo this season, he remains optimistic about his team’s chances.

“Kahit sino naman kalabanin namin sa semis, di naman kami namimili,” said Allado. “It’s about recalibrating the players’ mentality kasi pagdating sa semis, back to zero eh. Yung mga talo namin before, wala na yun. It’s a good semifinals ulit, and this is where we’ll see the real test.”

With extra time and penalties on the table if necessary, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The semifinal clashes are expected to deliver high drama and showcase the best of collegiate football, as the UAAP’s top four teams leave everything on the pitch for a shot at glory.

UST formalizes finals rematch in women's basketball

c/o UAAP

Games on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

10 a.m. – UST vs FEU-D (JHS Final Four)

1 p.m. – NU vs UST (Women Finals)

5:30 p.m. – DLSU vs UP (Men Finals)

DEFENDING champion University of Santo Tomas avoided a meltdown and showcased its championship poise, eliminating third-ranked Adamson University, 71-59, to advance to the UAAP Season 87 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Finals on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Growling Tigresses, the second seed with a 12-2 record, will once again face the National University Lady Bulldogs, who earned an automatic finals berth after sweeping the 14-game elimination round.

UST ended NU’s seven-season dynasty in last year’s finals, prevailing in three games.

However, the Lady Bulldogs have yet to lose since, defeating the Tigresses in both elimination-round meetings this season, 75-69 and 76-70.

The upcoming finals echo last season’s storyline, where NU dominated the eliminations before UST exacted revenge in the championship series.

Game 1 of the best-of-three finals is scheduled for Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“We have to work harder together. ‘Yung dapat ayusin sa laro namin this game, doon kami magko-concentrate,” said UST head coach Haydee Ong. “For us, we are the underdogs. Ang NU palagi ang llamado, kami ang dehado.”

UST came out firing, racing to a commanding 21-4 lead in the first quarter.

However, Adamson, fueled by its mantra “Big E” for effort, stormed back and took a 37-35 lead at halftime.

Kent Pastrana, Tacky Tacatac, and Brigette Santos anchored a third-quarter resurgence for the Tigresses.

Down 39-43, they unleashed a 15-2 run to regain control, 54-45.

Adamson closed the gap to six points, 54-60, but CJ Maglupay, Santos, and Tacatac sealed the game with timely plays, extending UST’s lead to 67-55 with 3:45 remaining.

“Let’s give credit also to Adamson, kay Coach Ryan (Monteclaro) and his girls, talagang they gave us a hard time. Salute to them. It’s a total team effort for us, and at the end of the day, ‘yung defense namin dictated nung second half,” said Ong, as Adamson struggled offensively, shooting just 6-of-25 in the second half.

Pastrana, the UAAP Season 86 Athlete of the Year, delivered an all-around performance, tallying 23 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block, though she committed seven turnovers.

Maglupay added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six steals, while Tacatac contributed 10 points despite a poor shooting night (3-of-16).

Santos also stepped up with 10 points and seven steals as UST dominated playmaking, dishing out 24 assists on 30 field goals compared to Adamson’s six assists on 21 makes.

The Lady Falcons, who reached the second phase of the stepladder with a gritty 59-53 overtime win against the Ateneo Blue Eagles, settled for bronze—a marked improvement from their 4-10, sixth-place finish last season.

Elaine Etang led Adamson with 12 points and five rebounds but struggled with her shooting (3-of-14).

Kem Adeshina also had 12 points, though 10 of those came in the first half.

The Lady Falcons will have their core back and reinforced by transferees from the UE Lady Warriors for next season.

Only May Trabado will graduate from this year's Adamson batch.

The Scores:

UST 71 - Pastrana 23, Maglupay 13, Tacatac 10, Santos 10, Ambos 7. Danganan 4, Sierba 4, Soriano 0, Bron 0, Amatong 0, Pescador 0, Reliquette 0.

AdU 59 - Etang 12, Adeshina 12, A. Alaba 9, Apag 7, Agojo 6, Limbago 4, Bajo 4, Padilla 3, Manlimos 2, Meniano 0, Ornopia 0, E. Alaba 0, Mazo 0.

Quarterscores: 21-12, 35-37, 56-48, 71-59.

UST moves on verge of second boys' volley title

c/o UAAP

Games on Saturday at the UST QPav Arena

9 a.m. – UST vs. NUNS (Boys Finals Game 2)

11 a.m. – AdU vs. NUNS (Girls Finals Game 2)

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas moved within striking distance of taking the UAAP Season 87 High School Boys' Volleyball Championship after an 18-25, 25-21, 28-26, 25-19 triumph over defending champion National University Nazareth School in Game 1 of the Finals on Wednesday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion in Manila.

The Junior Golden Spikers previously won their first and only UAAP High School Boys’ Volleyball Championship in Season 80 in 2018, with a victory over FEU-Diliman in the Finals.

UST will have the chance to secure its second overall title in Game 2 of the best-of-three series at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the same venue.

The final set began as a tight back-and-forth battle, but UST broke away with a decisive five-point run, extending their lead to eight.

NUNS responded with a three-point surge to keep their hopes alive, but the gap proved insurmountable.

Joncriz Ayco's back-to-back attacks brought the Junior Golden Spikers to match point at 24-17.

Paolo Medino then delivered the final blow with a powerful kill, sealing the victory for UST.

“Nung first set kasi nawala ‘yung receive namin, then ‘yung setter medyo binabagal niya, hindi ‘yun ‘yung ginagawa naming usual. So siguro masyado silang naha-hype doon sa ano. So minotivate ko lang sila na hindi ganyan ‘yung ginagawa natin sa training, hindi ‘yan ‘yung ginawa natin na dapat mangyari,” said UST head coach Clarence Esteban.

“So at least noong second set nagising sila na nung bumilis ‘yung set namin gumanda ‘yung receive, naging okay ‘yung laro namin.”

The Bullpups came out firing in the opening set, quickly seizing control with a 9-3 advantage, fueled by a three-point run.

The Junior Golden Spikers fought back to cut the deficit to 17-14 after a scoring spree of their own, but their momentum was cut short.

NUNS regained their grip on the set, stretching their lead to six behind an attack from Matthew Abut and a block by Irilis Kasim.

A service error from UST’s Rolf De Asis brought the Bullpups to set point, where Xandrex Ragusta notched a decisive kill to claim the first set.

The second set remained tightly contested until a 16-all deadlock, but John Paul Bautista took charge, delivering three straight kills that gave the Junior Golden Spikers a crucial three-point cushion.

That momentum proved enough to keep the Bullpups at bay.

An attack error from NUNS handed UST set point, and Ayco capitalized with an attack to close out the set, 25-21.

The fourth frame was a nail-biter, with both teams battling fiercely throughout the set.

An attack error by Abut pushed UST to match point, but he quickly redeemed himself with an attack to force a deuce.

The set saw two more deadlocks before Sean Cruz and Bautista combined for a crucial block to bring the Junior Golden Spikers back to match point.

Rain Dela Paz then delivered a clutch service ace to take the set, 28-26.

John Paul Bautista fired on all cylinders with 17 points, including 16-of-41 kills, a block, and 15 excellent receptions.

Medino contributed 16 points, 15 of which came from attacks, in a match that lasted two hours and three minutes.

Jefferson Abalos masterfully steered Junior Golden Spikers’ offense with 17 excellent sets.

On defense, Kalel Legaspi anchored the team with 15 digs.

Yuan Mendoza led the Bullpups with a game-high 18 points, including 15 from attacks.

Abut and Miguel Egger provided steady support with 15 points each.