UAAP volleyball do-or-die games slated today

Games today at the Mall of Asia Arena:
10 a.m. – UST vs NU (men)
2 p.m. – Ateneo vs Adamson (men)
4 p.m. – UST vs FEU (women)

Volleyball action set to resume today at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the Final Four for men and the unofficial start of the stepladder for the women.

The lone women's volleyball match features a play-off for the fourth and final seed in the stepladder, with old rivals FEU and UST duking it out at 4pm. Both schools, who have a combined 43 titles to their name, tote the same 6-8 record.

The Tigresses booked their seat in the playoff with a 25-10 25-22 and 25-11 victory over UE, while the Lady Tamaraws eliminated Adamson, 25-20 25-21 25-18 in what tantamounted to a play-in game.

UST head coach Odjie Mamon hopes that they will remain aggressive on both ends of the floor, while for FEU counterpart Shaq delos Santos, their recent do-or-die matches have toughened his squad.

The winner will face 3rd seed NU on Saturday afternoon at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum, in a one-game affair that serves as the official opening match of the stepladder format.

On the men's side, defending champions NU and Adamson seek to overcome a twice-to-beat disadvantage against separate opposition in the Final Four.

The defending champions will go up against UST in the opening match at 10am, while the Falcons will go up against top seeds Ateneo at 2pm.

A win by either the Tiger Spikers or the Blue Spikers earns them a finals berth.

UAAP Season 77 postseason volleyball schedule

Here is the schedule for the UAAP volleyball postseason:

February 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

10am UST vs NU (men) -> Tiger Spikers with the twice-to-beat edge
2pm Ateneo vs Adamson (men) -> Blue Spikers with the twice-to-beat edge
4pm UST vs FEU (women) -> playoff for the fourth seed in the stepladder

February 28 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

10am NU vs UST (men) -> only applicable if NU wins on February 25
2pm Adamson vs Ateneo (men) -> only applicable if Adamson wins on February 25
4pm UST-FEU winner vs NU (women) -> stepladder playoff

March 4 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

2pm Game 1 of UAAP Men's Volleyball Finals
4pm Stepladder semifinals vs DLSU (women)

March 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

2pm Game 2 of UAAP Men's Volleyball Finals
4pm Stepladder semifinals vs DLSU (women) -> only applicable if DLSU loses on March 4

March 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

11am Game 3 of UAAP Men's Volleyball Finals -> if necessary
330pm Game 1 of the UAAP finals vs Ateneo

March 18 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

330pm Game 2 of the UAAP finals vs Ateneo

March 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

330pm Game 3 of the UAAP finals vs Ateneo -> if necessary

March 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

330pm Game 4 of the UAAP finals vs Ateneo -> if necessary

FEU, Adamson, UST seeking women's volleyball postseason berths

Standings   W    L
Ateneo        14   0
La Salle       12   2
NU               7    6
UP                5    8
UST             5    8
Adamson     5    8
FEU             5    8
UE               0    13

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Arena:
8 a.m. – UST vs Ateneo (men)
10 a.m. – Adamson vs NU (men)
2 p.m. – UE vs UST (women)
4 p.m. – Adamson vs FEU (women)

The final spot in the women's volleyball postseason could be determined today at the San Juan Arena.

With UST, Adamson, FEU, and UP all toting 5-8 records, the possibility of a playoff looms large, especially with the Tigresses facing a winless UE squad in the 2pm matchup. A UST win assures that there will be at least a playoff for the final berth.

The Lady Falcons and the Lady Tamaraws will duke it out in a "virtual playoff" for a probable playoff in the main game at 4pm.

The Lady Tamaraws kept their postseason hopes alive with a 19-25 25-15 25-19 and 25-19 win over UP on Wednesday, with head coach Shaq delos Santos remaining upbeat about their stepladder chances. He says, "Malaki ang tiwala sa team ko, kahit mga bata pa yan, naniniwala ako sa kakayahan nila. Paghihirapan namin yung last game against Adamson, yun ang kailangan naming magawa."

In contrast, Adamson is coming off a four-set loss to NU, 25-18 22-25 26-24 and 25-19, in the first game of the rare women's volleyball tripleheader.

UP is idle, but they are set to face NU to close out the eliminations on Sunday. The Lady Maroons will have to win to force their way onto the said playoff.

With Ateneo's four-set win over La Salle, the defending champions are already in the finals toting a thrice-to-beat advantage. The Lady Spikers are in the semis with a twice-to-beat advantage.

Also taking place this morning is the penultimate set of matches in men's volleyball, with all four Final Four participants seeing action. Ateneo seeks to secure a twice-to-beat advantage with a win against UST at 8am, while defending champions NU goes up against Adamson at 10am.

Ateneo and La Salle revisit volleyball rivalry today

Standings   W    L
Ateneo        13   0
La Salle      12   1
NU              6    6
UP              5    7
Adamson    5    7
UST            5    8
FEU            4    8
UE               0    13

Games today at the Mall of Asia Arena:
8 a.m. UST vs UP (men)
10 a.m. Ateneo vs La Salle (men)
12 noon – NU vs Adamson (women)
2 p.m. – UP vs FEU (women)
4 p.m. – La Salle vs Ateneo (women)

Ateneo seeks to complete the eliminations unscathed as they face rivals La Salle to cap off a rare women's volleyball tripleheader at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Originally scheduled on February 22, schedule conflicts forced the UAAP to rejigger its schedule to accommodate the thousands of fans who want to watch their favorite players.

Although the defending champions are at the cusp of making the finals automatically with a win, the Lady Eagles still maintain a "one game at a time" mindset. Reigning MVP Alyssa Valdez says, "Iniisip lang namin yung last game (ng elims) at saka na ang future games. Kailangan lang maglaro ng maayos." She adds that they have to be "mentally prepared" today against the Lady Spikers, who took them to the limit in their first round meeting.

As for the former champions, head coach Ramil de Jesus believes that other schools are praying for a La Salle victory later, as an Ateneo loss leads to the less complicated Final Four format.

The other two women's matches slated involve squads jostling for postseason positioning.

National University can free itself from the logjam and enter the playoffs with a win against Adamson at 12nn, while FEU can avoid being taken out of the race by defeating UP at 2pm.

The rivalry spills onto the men's division, with the Ateneo Blue Spikers facing the La Salle Green Spikers at 10am. Last season's losing finalists are aiming to assure themselves of at least a playoff for the twice to beat advantage.

The first game of the quintiple-header of volleyball games sees the Tiger Spikers of UST face UP at 8am. UST is seeking to join idle Adamson in a tie for second place.

NU tops UAAP lawn tennis elims

National University is expected to take the UAAP lawn tennis titles after their dominating performances to close out the eliminations at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Paranaque.

With reigning MVP Fritz Verdad, the Bulldogs completed a 10-game sweep in the men's division after defeating last season's runners-up, UP, 5-0. The triumph extended their winning streak to 32 games, and allows them to secure a twice-to-beat advantage in the finals.

UST will face the defending champions in the finals, toting a 7-3 record. However, the Male Tennisters went 0-2 against them in eliminations, both ending up as 5-0 shutouts. However, UST head coach Alexander Diego remains hopeful, in an interview with The Varsitarian.

"Although wala kami ulit panalo, nakikita ko na may chance pa kami, kailangan lang talaga tiyagain, kasi hindi rin nila basta basta nila igi-give up yon," he said. ""Marami pa kaming kailangan ayusin, basta kung saan sa tingin namin kami mananalo, ginagawa namin ang lahat."

On the women's side, the Patrimonio siblings helped NU to the first seat in the finals with a league-best 7-1 record.

Tin and Clarice helped the Lady Bulldogs with a 4-1 win over UP to end the elims, as they await the winner of La Salle and UST. The Taft-based netters defeated their Espana counterparts, 3-2, to force a playoff on Saturday.

UP, FEU, La Salle secure UAAP postseason football berths

Men's football matches on Thursday at FEU-Diliman:

1 p.m. – Adamson vs UE
3 p.m. – La Salle vs UP

Three teams have officially punched their postseason berths with wins this past weekend in UAAP men's football.

The University of the Philippines became the first side to secure access to the Final Four by doing just enough to dispatch the University of the East, 2-0, on Saturday night at the Moro Lorenzo Field in Ateneo.

Vincent Aguilar and Jinggoy Valmayor each netted a goal in the second half for the Maroons, who took temporary control of first place with the win heading into the next day.

FEU and La Salle booked their postseason seats in contrasting fashion against also-ran squads on Sunday afternoon.

The defending champions smoked UST, 6-0, at the Ateneo campus, with Eric Giganto's four goals enabling the Manila Jeepney striker to take the lead in the Golden Boot race with fifteen goals. Arnel Amita and Jesus Melliza completed the scoring for the Tamaraws, who now are level on points, but toting a superior goal difference in spite of playing one more game.

The Green Booters trail the Season 76 finals participants by a solitary point, after a 2-0 win over Adamson at the artificial turf in FEU-Diliman.

A free kick goal from Greggy Yang and a strike from Chuck Uy allowed the men of Hans Smit to take all three points over the Falcons. Smit opted to use his seldom-used reserves for a large portion of the match, keeping some of his regulars on the bench early on before inserting them later on.

Ateneo could have completed the postseason cast, but the Blue Booters were felled by NU, 1-0. Team skipper Paolo Salenga scored the lone goal of the match in the 29th minute, serving as the recipient of a free kick from Alberto Frias.

The loss allowed the Bulldogs to leapfrog the Season 75 champions into fourth place, heading into the final set of elimination matches on Sunday. However, before those games, the league will have its final set of weekday football games this Thursday at FEU-Diliman.

La Salle and UP duke it out in the second game of the doubleheader, with either team having the chance to end the day on top of the league. The first game features the bottom-ranked teams Adamson and UE, with both sides seeking a win to provide some positive to their struggles this season.

In the women's division, UP secured the remaining spot up for grabs on Sunday, coming from a goal down to take a 3-1 win over UST. Mary Rose Obra secured a brace for the Lady Maroons, as they continue their quest to be the fourth team in the UAAP to win the title.

Awaiting them in the finals is FEU, who already booked its seat in the finals before they played their match against Ateneo on Saturday. Although they lost, 3-1, head coach Let Dimzon provided her seldom-used reserves the chance to get some much-needed on-field experience.

Meanwhile, FEU booked its season in the finals in high school football, scoring late to take a 2-0 victory over La Salle-Zobel on Saturday afternoon at FEU-Diliman.

NU snatches Game 1 of UAAP Juniors Finals

The air of invincibility was shattered yesterday afternoon, as National University defeated Ateneo in Game 1 of the UAAP Juniors finals at the Filoil Flying V Arena, 76-72.

The defending champions withstood a fourth quarter charge from the Blue Eaglets, highlighted by a rejection from Mark Dyke on Mike Nieto.

The national team youth standout finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. while Philip Manalang and John Clemente each added 17 and 14 markers. The duo combined to score 13 in the final period, helping ice the game for head coach Jeff Napa.

Napa praised his team's supporting cast, who stepped up to the plate. Justine Baltazar grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked six shots, while Mark Ferreras netted a couple of key baskets in the fourth to avert a possible collapse, after leading by as large as 14 in the third.

The MVP led all scorers with 25 points, but was held scoreless for the final seven minutes of the game. The boys of Joe Silva were unable to provide scoring support to their national team youth standouts, as the trio of the Nieto twins and Jolo Mendoza combined to score all but fourteen of Ateneo's points.

Game 2 is slated to take place on Tuesday, 2pm, at the Arena.

The scores:
NU (76) - Dyke 20, Clemente 17, Manalang 14, Ferreras 6, Sta. Ana 6, Atienza 5, Baltazar 3, Mina 3, Saquian 2, De Guzman 0, Calma 0, Camaso 0, Callejo 0, Claveria 0.
Ateneo (72) - Nieto Mi. 25, Nieto Ma. 19, Mendoza 14, Andrade 5, Mamuyac 5, Joson 4, Ildefonso 0, Hassan 0, Ramos 0, Eustaquio 0, Salandanan 0.
Quarterscores: 19-19, 36-31, 56-49, 76-72

UST, UP, FEU, NU fight for volleyball postseason berths

Standings   W    L
Ateneo        12   0
La Salle      11   1
Adamson    5    6
NU              5    6
UST            5    7
UP              4    7
FEU            4    7
UE               0    12

Games today at the Filoil Flying V Arena
8 a.m. – ADMU vs FEU (men)
10 a.m. – DLSU vs UST (men)
2 p.m. – UST vs UP (women)
4 p.m. – FEU vs NU (women)

Huge postseason implications are in play today at the San Juan Arena, with four out of the five teams battling for the last two available postseason slots in women's volleyball in action.

First, the University of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas will try to arrest their own skids in the 2pm matchup.

The Lady Maroons are currently 1-3 in games since Kathy Bersola injured her knee, while the Tigresses suffered back-to-back losses to Ateneo and La Salle after winning four straight. A loss here will be a huge blow to either team's postseason hopes, as it would lead to an eighth loss and a guaranteed losing season.

The women's matchup sees NU go up against FEU, with the Lady Tamaraws seeking to replicate their first round win in what turned out to be the last game of the Lady Bulldogs before the entry of Roger Gorayeb. A win for NU assures them a temporary hold on third place.

In the men's side, Ateneo and UST aim to improve their postseason seeding facing also-rans. The Blue Spikers open volleyball action against FEU at 8am, followed by the Tiger Spikers against La Salle at 10.

NU keeps UAAP postseason hopes alive in football

Matches today at the Moro Lorenzo Football Field inside Ateneo:
4 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (women)
6 p.m. – UE vs UP (men)

National University kept its postseason hopes alive with a dramatic 2-1 victory over the University of Santo Tomas on Thursday afternoon.

Paolo Salenga scored the game-winning goal two minutes into injury time, taking advantage of a defensive lapse by the Golden Booters in sending the ball towards the far left and out of the reach of keeper John Rey Catalino.

Gino Clarino gave UST the lead just three minutes in, scoring the opening goal off a cross from Jopridale Molino. The Bulldogs found an equalizer from Patrick Valenzuela in the 64th minute, as he headed the ball in off a Francis Abalunan corner.

Acknowledging the magnitude of this game, NU head coach Wilhelm Laranas said, "Sa spirit pa lang nila, pursigidong manalo," as they moved to 20 points and formally eliminated the men of Marjo Allado in the process.

The other match of the day saw Far Eastern University winning over Ateneo, 4-0, in a match that saw the Tamaraws attempt 24 times towards goal.

Arnel Amita netted a hat trick for the defending champions, opening with a score from the spot in the 38th minute after defender Jin Daniel Montemayor fouls him inside the area. He would complete the hat trick with a second half brace, scoring on a volley in the 67th minute, then got involved with a 1-2 from Jesus Melliza in the 83rd minute to cap the scoring.

The other goal of the game took place in the 56th minute, when Eric Giganto pounced on a miscommunication between defender Kokoy Marcelino and keeper JP Oracion.

The win moves FEU level on points with idle UP at 24 points, but the Tamaraws hold a superior goal difference. The loss now puts the Blue Booters just two points ahead of NU heading into their clash this Sunday.

FEU-Ateneo matchup highlights Thursday UAAP football

Men's football matches today at the FEU-Diliman artificial pitch:
1 p.m. – NU vs UST
3 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo

UAAP collegiate men's football is set to resume later this afternoon at the artificial field inside the campus of FEU-Diliman, with National University and the University of Santo Tomas tangling in the first game, followed by hosts Far Eastern University against Ateneo de Manila.

NU and UST face off first in what amounts to be a virtual do-or-die game, with both sides facing the prospect of being eliminated in the postseason with a defeat. The Bulldogs remain in striking distance in fifth place, but a stinging 5-1 defeat to FEU widened the gap to four points, while the Golden Booters are still mathematically in the hunt, provided they win out and if the defending champions lose out.

In the second game, Ateneo and FEU seek to move into first place with a win. The defending champions are in fourth place with 21 points, and a win would allow them to be level on points with current leaders UP, with the edge in goal difference in their favor. The Blue Booters, on the other hand, are in solo third place with 22 points. A win here vaults them into solo first. At the same time, it would avenge their 2-0 first round defeat.

With the UAAP high school finals set to kick off on Friday afternoon, the telecast for these two football games will now be LIVE on Sports+Action instead of its customer schedule.

UAAP volleyball resumes today

Standings      W    L
Ateneo           11   0
La Salle         10   1
UST                5    6
Adamson        5    6
NU                 5    6
UP                  4    7
FEU               4    7
UE                 0    11

Games today at the Mall of Asia Arena:
8 a.m. – Adamson vs UE (men)
10 a.m. – FEU vs NU (men)
2 p.m. – UE vs La Salle (women)
4 p.m. – UST vs Ateneo (women)

After taking Sunday off, UAAP volleyball action resumes today at the Mall of Asia Arena with a four-game slate.

Kicking off the action is the morning men's volleyball doubleheader involving matchups with postseason implications.

Adamson seeks to secure its seat in the postseason (and go level on wins alongside Ateneo) in the first game of the day at 8am, against a winless UE side. The next match sees FEU try to keep their flickering postseason hopes alive against defending champions NU at 10am.

On the women's side, Ateneo will seek to extend their winning streak to twelve games, against a UST side seeking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat against La Salle one week ago.

With the race for the two remaining postseason spots still up for grabs, the Tigresses would like to be one step ahead of Adamson and NU with an upset today.

The other scheduled women's matchup sees La Salle face winless UE at 2pm.

Top teams hold serve in UAAP men's football

Standings:
UP 24 pts
La Salle 23
Ateneo 22
FEU 21
NU 17
UST 12
UE 4
Adamson 0

Men's football matches on Thursday at FEU-Diliman:
1 p.m. – NU vs UST
3 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo

The top four teams each won their respective matches on Sunday afternoon to continue their march towards the postseason in UAAP 77 men's football.

Defending champions FEU, last season's runners-up UP, and arch-rivals Ateneo and La Salle each defeated their scheduled opposition at FEU-Diliman and at the Moro Lorenzo Field inside Ateneo to separate themselves from the rest of the field.

The Tamaraws easily dispatched National University, 5-1 in the second game of the doubleheader at the artifical field at FEU-Diliman, scoring all of their goals in the second half.

After allowing the opening goal from Paolo Salenga in the 17th minute, the defending champions needed seconds to even things after the whistle blew to kick off the second half. Arnel Amita scored the first of his two goals on that particular instance, with the other goal coming in the 74th minute. Jesus Melliza provided the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute, while the Menzi brothers providing the remaining goals in this match (Audie in the 64th, Michael in the 79th).

The lopsided victory allows fourth-place FEU to expand their gap with fifth-place NU to four points, with three matches remaining.

The earlier game at FEU-Diliman saw the UP rout UST, 4-1. All of the Maroons' goals took place in a span of five minutes near the end of the first half, with Jinggoy Valmayor bookending that stretch. The current top goalscorer in the league opened scoring in the 41st minute. Carlos Monfort doubled the lead a couple minutes later. Vincent Aguilar made it 3-0 heading into first half injury time, while Valmayor capping off the scoring just before the break.

Steven Anotado would pull one back in the 71st minute, but it was too little too late for the Golden Booters, whose postseason hopes are all but extinguished with the seventh defeat this season.

At the Moro Lorenzo Field, one-goal wins against also-rans was the underlying theme, first with Ateneo extending Adamson's run with futility with a 2-1 win, followed by La Salle doing just enough to eke out a 1-0 win over UE.

Gerald Layumas scored the lone goal of the Green Booters in the 13th minute, as they kept in pace with UP on top of the standings.

Emilio Acosta (28th) and Renko Gaudiel (52nd) scored in each half for the Blue Booters, with Brian Jumo pulling one back for the Falcons in the 82nd minute.

NU secures UAAP juniors finals berth

Game Friday at the Filoil Flying V Arena:
2 p.m. – NU vs Ateneo (Game 1 of HS basketball finals)

National University booked their seat in the finals of the UAAP Juniors basketball tournament, defeating La Salle-Zobel, 61-45 on Monday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The defending champions opened the game by scoring eleven straight points in the first seven minutes and never looked back, limiting the Junior Archers to just five points in the first quarter. Their imposing presence forced Zobel to shoot 22.54% from the field

Justine Baltazar keyed the strong start for NU in the first period, scoring seven of his thirteen points in that stretch. He also grabbed a team-high eleven rebounds to be the only player nabbing a double-double. John Clemente led the team in scoring with fourteen points, ten of which came in the second half.

Mythical Five selection Mark Dyke finished with nine markers to go along with his thirteen rebounds and a rejection.

With the victory, the Bullpups forged a finals rematch against the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, which kicks off on Friday afternoon at the San Juan Arena. Perceived as the underdogs with the Eaglets finishing the eliminations unscathed, head coach Jeff Napa remains unfazed. He says, "Mas mahirap man ang pagdadaraan, eh di mas masarap,"

Mythical selection Aljun Melecio led all scorers with fifteen points, while Joaquin Banzon added fourteen for Zobel, who will finish third this season after beating FEU at the end of the eliminations and then Adamson in the stepladder playoff to set up the semifinal matchup against the defending champions.

NU is seeking to be the first team since UST in 1994 to complete the basketball Triple Crown, after their male and female collegiate counterparts won their championships last October.

The scores:

NU (61) - Clemente 14, Baltazar 13, Dyke 9, Manalang 9, Sta. Ana 5, Calma 5, Ferreras 4, Penano 2, Atienza 0, Claveria 0, De Guzman 0, Mina 0, Saquian 0
DLSZ (45) - Melecio Alj. 15, Banzon 14, Romero 4, Melecio Ale. 3, Fortuna 3, Isaac 2, Paraiso 2, Sario 1, Webb 1, Cabarrus 0, Tongco 0.
Quarterscores: 15-5, 30-18, 42-31, 61-45

New York and basketball history in a map

The NBA All-Star Game is in New York City, and with the rich basketball talent and history from the five boroughs, the league decided to put that onto a map, as you can see below.

You can access the actual map on the NBA website, or on these two apps (All-Star or Gametime).

Bullpups take second seed in UAAP HS basketball

The quest for the UAAP basketball Triple Crown took a positive turn on Tuesday afternoon, as National University secured the much sought-after second seed in the UAAP high school basketball stepladder postseason at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The defending champions issued a 72-45 shellacking of Adamson to snatch the twice-to-beat incentive, riding on the shoulders of Mark Dyke for the win.

The big man and under-18 youth standout led the Bullpups with 23 points and 26 rebounds, as the Baby Falcons had no answer for his heroics. They would trail by twenty at the half and allowed the deficit to grow to as large as 32 in the playoff.

Also contributing for the Bullpups are Philip Manalang (15 points and 11 rebounds), Jordan Sta. Ana and John Clemente (combined for 25 points). Miguel Sasuman led the Baby Falcons with 13 markers, with James Pasturan adding eleven of his own.

The loss forces Adamson to go up against La Salle-Zobel on Friday afternoon at the Blue Eagle Gym, officially kicking off the stepladder postseason.

The Jeff Napa-coached squad awaits the winner on Monday afternoon, also at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Top seeds Ateneo already booked their seat in the finals, thanks to their sweep in the eliminations. They own a thrice-to-beat advantage, with the first game taking place either on February 13 (against NU) or February 17 (against either NU, Adamson, or La Salle-Zobel). The matches will tip off at 2pm inside the San Juan Arena.

La Salle and UP move ahead in UAAP football

Matches on Thursday at FEU-Diliman pitch

1 p.m. – Adamson vs NU (men)
3 p.m. – FEU vs UP (men)

La Salle and Ateneo battled to a 1-1 draw this past Sunday at the artificial field of FEU-Diliman to cap the latest set of matches in UAAP football. 

Julian Roxas' header in the 55th minute gave the lead to the Blue Booters, but the Green Booters tied the match after a Greggy Yang corner led to a goalmouth scramble that Yoshi Koizumi scored upon in the 74th minute.

The win allows La Salle to be level on points with UP at twenty points, after the Maroons scrapped past National University, 1-0, last Saturday. Jinggoy Valmayor scored his ninth goal of the season in the 66th minute.

In spite of the draw, Ateneo remains in third place within striking distance, just one point behind the leaders.

Defending champions FEU remains in fourth spot with 17 points. The Tamaraws manhandled debutants Adamson, 6-0 on Saturday night. The win allows them to have a three-point lead over NU in the race for the Final Four.

The other men's match that took place this weekend saw UST keep their own flickering postseason hopes alive with a 3-0 victory over UE.

Status quo held firm in women's play, with 1-1 draws between FEU and La Salle and UP and Ateneo.

UAAP February 1 volleyball results

The University of Santo Tomas relied on mainstays Pam Lastimosa and Carmela Tunay to take a 25-19 25-21 and 25-23 win over Far Eastern University on Sunday afternoon at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

Lastimosa's tip-in and a Tunay down-the-line winner ensured that the Golden Tigresses will be in solo third place at 5-5, after the Lady Tamaraws forced a deadlock at 23-all in an effort to keep this match alive. The duo combined for 21 points for mentor Odjie Mamon, while EJ Laure led the team with seventeen markers.


Mamon highlighted the team's "enthusiasm to play," adding that "we sorted out yung problema nila about lack of commitment. Now, they are looking forward to every training and lalo na sa game. Nabuhay yung excitement nila na maglaro."

In the other women's volleyball match scheduled, Adamson muddled the postseason picture with a 25-15 25-22 and 25-17 win over winless UE.

Amanda Villanueva and Mylene Paat each had thirteen points, while Jessica Galanza added eleven of her own in the win.

Head coach Sherwin Meneses praised their opponents' performance, adding that they were fortunate that they made the necessary adjustments. 

Shaya Adorador led the Lady Warriors with 12 markers, while Angelica Dacaymat contributed nine.

In men's action earlier in the morning, FEU and UP kept their slim postseason hopes alive with tightly-fought wins over La Salle and UE, respectively.

Greg Dolor led the Tamaraws with 15 points against the Green Spikers, 25-17 17-25 25-22 27-29 and 15-10. Wendel Miguel's 18 points led the Maroons against the Warriors, 25-19 20-25 23-25 25-17 and 15-8.

UAAP volleyball results last January 31

Ateneo and La Salle dispatched separate opposition on Saturday afternoon, as the finalists last season continue their impressive march in the UAAP women's volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Arena.

The Lady Eagles defeated UP, 25-18 25-18 25-18, to remain undefeated in ten games and assured themselves of at worst, a twice-to-beat incentive. The Lady Spikers, on the other hand, officially booked their seat in the postseason with a 25-22 25-20 21-25 27-25 win over NU.

Jia Morado had been named the Player of the Game with her 30 excellent set to complement her eight points and five digs. Alyssa Valdez led Ateneo in scoring once again with twenty markers. The incumbent MVP was jubilant after the match, noting how "all the sacrifices are worth it."

Stepping in to the shoes left by the injured Kathy Bersola, Marian Buitre scored a career-high thirteen points for the Lady Maroons in the loss, highlighted by four blocks.
 
NU had the chance to force a fifth and deciding set, but Ara Galang gave La Salle the lead at 26-25, then Jaja Santiago's spike was too long, closing the door on their upset opportunity.

Mika Reyes netted fifteen points with three blocks and two aces to lead the Lady Spikers, while Galang finished with fourteen. Santiago led all scorers with 25, including five blocks.

Lady Spikers head coach Ramil de Jesus may be satisfied with extending their postseason streak, but he says, "Yun lahat ang goal ng bawat teams (Final Four). Pero nagpa-practice kami hindi para mag-second or third. Nagpa-practice kami para maging first, nagte-training kami para doon."

Earlier that day, Ateneo and Adamson assured themselves of at least a postseason playoff spot with wins over NU and UST, respectively.

Last season's MVP Marck Espejo and his 26 points powered the Blue Spikers to a 25-20 25-16 25-27 and 25-16 win over the defending champions, while Bryan Saraza's 17 points led the Falcons to take advantage of an undermanned Tiger Spikers squad, 23-25 25-20 25-20 25-17.

50 is the number for Adamson softball

Adamson's remarkable winning streak in UAAP softball hit a special milestone this past Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The Lady Falcons, led by Queenie Sabobo, needed just four inning to defeat the University of the Philippines, 8-1, to win their second game this season and extend their impressive winning run to fifty games.

UE still is a half-game ahead of the defending champions, as their 3-2 upset over National University secures a 3-0 win-loss record. The Lady Warriors relied on Josephine Francisco, Charlene Quintos, and Roxzell Niloban for their offense against the Lady Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, La Salle defeated rivals Ateneo, 3-1 to take solo third.

In baseball, defending champions Ateneo took care of business against UST, 12-2, also on Saturday.

The Blue Batters routed their Golden counterparts, mainly thanks to the efforts of Dio Remollo, Adrianne Bernardo, and Matt Laurel. They put the game away after scoring six runs in the sixth inning. The match needed just eight innings with the "mercy rule" set in place.

The other two matches saw La Salle complete a comeback against Adamson, 7-6. The Green Batters overcame a four-run deficit to take their second win in three outings. National University, on the other hand, stymided UP's comeback attempt, and held on to a 12-9 win.