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Tag: Ateneo

  • La Salle secures Final Four edge, UP keeps playoff bid alive

    La Salle secures Final Four edge, UP keeps playoff bid alive

    The race for the Final Four tightened further in UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, as the UP Fighting Maroons women’s volleyball team kept their hopes alive while the De La Salle Lady Spikers secured a crucial advantage heading into the playoffs.


    In the 1 p.m. opener, UP refused to let its season slip away, sweeping the struggling Ateneo Blue Eagles women’s volleyball team, 25-20, 25-14, 25-23.

     

    The victory, just their second in the last seven games, lifted the Fighting Maroons to a 5-6 record and kept them within striking distance of a Final Four spot.

     

    Nina Ytang powered UP with 18 points on 13 attacks, three blocks, and two aces. Irah Jaboneta made a solid return from a minor fitness issue with 12 points, while Kianne Olango contributed an all-around effort of eight points, 10 receptions, and five digs.

     

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    Ateneo, meanwhile, continued its difficult campaign, falling to 1-10 after absorbing its 10th loss in 11 games. Donna de Leon led the Blue Eagles with seven points, but no player reached double digits. Ana Hermosura and Alex Montoro chipped in five points each in the losing effort.

     

    UP now faces a critical stretch, taking on the Adamson Lady Falcons on April 15 and the FEU Lady Tamaraws on April 19 as it looks to break into the Final Four, while Ateneo will try to snap its skid against La Salle on April 11 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.

     

    In the 3 p.m. main event, La Salle showed its championship poise, outlasting FEU in a five-set battle, 25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10, to remain unbeaten and secure the twice-to-beat advantage.

     

    The De La Salle Lady Spikers appeared in control early before the FEU Lady Tamaraws forced a decider. In the fifth set, however, La Salle reasserted dominance behind its balanced attack and net defense.

     

    Angel Canino delivered 24 points, 14 digs, and 10 receptions, while Shevana Laput paced all scorers with 25 points. Amie Provido added 17 points, highlighted by six blocks, while rookie setter Eshana Nunag orchestrated the offense with 32 excellent sets.

     

    FEU dropped to 6-5 after its second straight loss, now tied with Adamson for fourth place. Lovely Lopez led the Lady Tamaraws with 16 points and 24 excellent receptions, while Gerzel Petallo returned from injury to contribute 14 points.

     

    La Salle will next face Ateneo before wrapping up the elimination round against the University of the East Lady Warriors and defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs, while FEU looks to bounce back against UP in its next outing.

     

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  • NU, FEU delivers a double sweep as UAAP women’s volleyball race tightens

    NU, FEU delivers a double sweep as UAAP women’s volleyball race tightens

    Wednesday UAAP Season 88 Women’s Volleyball match turned into an emphatic response in the volleyball tournament, as defending champion NU Lady Bulldogs and surging FEU Lady Tamaraws authored straight-set victories at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.


    For National University, it was about regaining control. For Far Eastern University, it was about sustaining momentum.

     

    Stung by their first loss of the season to the UP Fighting Maroons last Saturday, the two-time defending champions wasted little time reasserting their authority, dismantling the UE Lady Warriors, 25-19, 25-10, 25-19.

     

    Rather than dwell on setbacks, NU showcased its depth, a hallmark of championship programs. Sophomore Celine Marsh, tapped to start in place of injured rookie Sam Cantada, delivered a composed all-around performance with 11 points off eight spikes, two aces, and a block, on top of 12 excellent digs and four receptions.

     

    “I never really doubted Celine’s performance. I never really feel like na malaki ‘yung mawawala kapag may isang player na hindi makakalaro kasi I have somebody else to help the team. Tulungan lang talaga kami,” said NU head coach Regine Diego.

     

    While team captain Vange Alinsug earned Player of the Game after tallying 10 points, seven digs, and seven receptions, and Arah Panique paced Lady Bulldog’s scoring with 12 points.

     

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    On the other side, Van Bangayan led UE with 12 points and five receptions, while Khy Cepada chipped in 10 points, seven receptions, and six digs. Still searching for their first win, the Lady Warriors dropped to 0-5 and will next face unbeaten La Salle.

     

    With the victory, NU climbed to 4-1, claiming solo second place and sending a clear message that its championship pulse remains steady.

     

    In the 3 p.m. match, FEU proved that resilience can be just as decisive as dominance.

    The Lady Tamaraws secured their second straight win by sweeping the Ateneo Lady Eagles, 25-17, 25-17, 26-24, but the third set demanded grit.

     

    Ateneo pushed FEU to the brink late in the frame, threatening to extend the match before the Tamaraws steadied themselves to close it out in deuce.

     

    Faida Bakanke led FEU with 12 points, while Gerzel Petallo anchored the floor defense with 13 excellent receptions and 11 excellent digs, adding nine points. Jazlyn Ellarina showcased her versatility with 11 points built on five spikes, three aces, and three blocks, while Clarisse Loresco chipped in eight.

     

    For Ateneo, Geezel Tsunashima delivered her best outing of the season with 11 points, aided by Jihan Chuatico’s seven. Despite flashes of competitiveness including handing La Salle its lone set loss of the season last Saturday. The Blue Eagles remained winless after five games and as the tournament heads deeper into the first round, the separation lines are beginning to form.

     

    NU reestablished its championship form. FEU is building rhythm. UE and Ateneo continue to search for answers.

     

    Action resumes over the weekend at the Big Dome, with UE Lady Warriors taking on DLSU Lady Spikers at 1 p.m., followed by Adamson Lady Falcons clashing with UST Golden Tigresses at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

     

    On Sunday, the schedule opens with NU Lady Bulldogs battling the Ateneo Lady Eagles, then UP Fighting Maroons will face FEU Lady Tamaraws.

     

     

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  • Redemption and rise: UE, NU, Ateneo, and FEU eye crucial UAAP Season 88 turning point

    Redemption and rise: UE, NU, Ateneo, and FEU eye crucial UAAP Season 88 turning point

    The middle stretch of UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball is shaping up to be less about early dominance and more about response. 


    On Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, four teams will step onto the taraflex with heated passion to win. 

     

    The 1 p.m. opener places the spotlight on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. The UE Lady Warriors enter still chasing their first victory after a winless Season 87 campaign extended into this year. 

     

    Their 18-game slide looms large, and their latest setback, a straight-sets defeat to the UST Golden Tigresses. Khy Cepada led UE with nine points in that outing, but the climb remains steep.

     

    Across the net stand the defending champions, the NU Lady Bulldogs, who suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar territory.

     

    Unbeaten through three matches, National University appeared headed for another routine win after taking a 2-0 lead over the UP Fighting Maroons last Saturday. Instead, they absorbed a stunning five-set reversal, 25-16, 25-16, 22-25, 29-31, 16-18, a result that snapped their winning streak.

     

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    Now chasing a third straight championship, NU must recalibrate quickly. Rookie Sam Cantada remains doubtful after injuring her right shin, but veterans Arah Panique, Vange Alinsug, Chams Maaya, Alexa Mata, setter Lams Lamina, and Shaira Jardio are expected to anchor the bounce-back effort.

     

    Meanwhile, the 3 p.m. match features two teams the Ateneo Lady Eagles and the FEU Lady Tamaraws.

     

    The Ateneo Blue Eagles showed flashes of fight against unbeaten powerhouse De La Salle Lady Spikers, even snatching a set in a four-set defeat, 25-14, 21-25, 25-17, 25-17. 

     

    It marked the first set La Salle conceded this season — a small but meaningful statement from a squad still hunting its first win. Under head coach Sergio Veloso, Ateneo is banking on that glimpse of competitiveness to finally translate into a breakthrough result.

     

    Standing in their way are the FEU Lady Tamaraws, currently at 2-2 and locked in a crowded race for the upper half of the standings alongside UST and Adamson. 

     

    FEU is coming off a morale-boosting four-set win over the Adamson Lady Falcons, 22-25, 31-28, 25-17, 25-20, a response to their own loss against NU.

     

    As the second round of games inches closer, Wednesday’s twin bill is less about highlight plays and more about trajectory.

     

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  • Contenders rise, champions tested in UAAP Women’s volleyball weekend shake-up

    Contenders rise, champions tested in UAAP Women’s volleyball weekend shake-up

    The UAAP women’s volleyball tournament delivered more than just wins and losses over the weekend, it revealed separation at the top, resilience in the middle, and urgency at the bottom.

     

    UST Golden Tigresses wasted little time asserting control last Saturday after dismantling the UE Lady Warriors in straight sets, 25-11, 25-14, 25-14, at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

     

    It was a clinical display that reinforced UST’s growing rhythm this season. Angge Poyos and Jonna Perdido  chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Steering a balanced attack that never allowed UE to find its footing. 

     

    While, on the other end, Khy Cepada’s nine-point effort was not enough to lift the Lady Warriors, who slipped to 0-4 and remained anchored at the bottom of the standings.

     

    If Saturday’s opener was decisive, the second match was unforgettable. The UP Fighting Maroons staged one of the season’s most stirring reversals, erasing a two-set deficit to topple defending champions NU Lady Bulldogs, 16-25, 16-25, 25-22, 31-29, 18-16.

     

    Still reeling from a previous loss to DLSU Lady Archers, UP showed resolve when it mattered most. Nina Ytang, Casiey Dongallo, and Jelai Gajero fueled a comeback from 9-13 in the deciding set, saving three match points in a dramatic fifth-frame finish.

     

    NU’s bid to stay unbeaten was complicated by the absence of rookie standout Sam Cantada in the fourth and fifth sets after sustaining a minor lower-leg injury late in the third. Cantada had already delivered 10 points built on four aces, three attacks, and three blocks, alongside seven excellent digs.

     

    UP seized the opening, first dominating the third set before clawing back from a 21-24 deficit in the fourth, a shift that ultimately handed NU its first loss of the season.

     

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    On Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the DLSU Lady Spikers tightened their grip on first place with a four-set win over the Ateneo Lady Eagles, 25-14, 21-25, 25-15, 25-17.

     

    Even without ace Shevana Laput due to illness, DLSU absorbed its first dropped set of the season without losing control of the match. 

     

    Middle blocker Lilay del Castillo erupted for a career-best 18 points highlighted by eight blocks, while Angel Canino and Amie Provido poured in 21 and 17 markers, respectively.

     

    Ateneo, now 0-4, continued to search for a breakthrough despite strong outings from Anna Hermosura (18 points) and JLo Delos Santos (15).

     

    The weekend concluded with the FEU Lady Tamaraws restoring balance to their season by defeating the Adamson Lady Falcons, 22-25, 30-28, 25-17, 25-20.

     

    FEU’s win established a three-way tie with UST and Adamson at 2-2, compressing the middle of the standings and setting up a volatile race for positioning.

     

    Though Adamson narrowly edged FEU in spikes, 60-59, the Lady Tamaraws ruled the net with an advantage in blocks. Faida Bakanke led the charge with 22 points, including five rejections, while Jaz Ellarina added 11 markers.

     

    While Adamson leaned heavily on Nitrua, who produced 24 points and anchored the floor defense with 31 excellent receptions and 15 digs. But FEU’s defensive wall proved decisive, punctuated by Alyzza Devosora’s crosscourt kill that sealed the pivotal extended second set.

     

    By the end of the weekend, the UAAP landscape looked markedly different. DLSU stands alone at the top. NU has been reminded it is vulnerable. UP has reintroduced itself as a threat. UST continues to surge. FEU and Adamson are locked in the scramble. Meanwhile, UE and Ateneo are still searching for their first breakthrough.

     

     

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