Mga laro bukas:
(Mall of Asia Arena)
10 a.m. – UP vs DLSU (Men)
12 noon – FEU vs Ateneo (Men)
2 p.m. – UP vs DLSU (Women)
4 p.m. – FEU vs Ateneo (Women)
NAKOPO ng University of Santo Tomas ang kanilang ika-4 na sunod na Final Four appearance makaraang walisin ang Adamson, 22-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-20, sa UAAP women’s volleyball tournament nitong Miyerkoles sa Mall of Asia Arena.
Nagpakawala si sensational rookie Angge Poyos ng season-high 31 points, 6 digs at 5 receptions para sa Tigresses na umangat sa league-best record na 9-1.
Nauna rito ay sinandigan ni Bella Belen ang National University sa 25-14, 25-14, 25-12 pagbasura sa University of the East.
Sa straight-set victory, ang ika-8 sa 10 laro, ay lumapit ang Lady Bulldogs sa ika-3 sunod na Final Four appearance.
Ang scoring output ni Poyos ang pinakamataas ng isang Tigress magmula nang magtala si Eya Laure ng career-high 31 points sa 25-19, 25-21, 29-31, 33-31 panalo ng UST kontra Ateneo noong May 19, 2022.
“Thankful kasi comeback game nga for us kasi natalo kami last game against NU. Thankful kasi nakapag-contribute pa rin ako sa game. Thankful din ako sa mga ates ko kasi patuloy silang kumakapit at lumalaban para sa team,” sabi ni Poyos.
Sa kabila ng paglisan nina Laure, Imee Hernandez at Milena Alessandrini at pagkakaroon ng young roster, ang Tigresses ay balik sa Final Four.
“Yung hardwork ng mga bata, hindi matatawaran,” sabi ni UST coach Kungfu Reyes. “Well prepared naman yung team, may kasamang swerte at nakuha namin ‘yung dati naming inaasam na at least mapasama kami sa Final Four. Ngayon nandito na.”
Umiskor sina Jonna Perdido at Regina Jurado ng tig-12 points habang kumana si Bianca Plaza, pumalit kay Em Banagua, ng perfect 6-of-6 attacks upang tumapos na may 7 points para sa Tigresses.
Nakakolekta si Barbie Jamili ng 20 points at 13 receptions para sa Lady Falcons, na nahulog sa 2-7.
Games Saturday (25 Nov)
(Smart Araneta Coliseum)
11 a.m. – UP vs UST (Women Final Four)
2 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (Men Final Four)
6 p.m. – DLSU vs NU (Men Final Four)
MANILA — In a commanding performance witnessed by 7,088 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena, Ateneo secured the last Final Four berth in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament with a lopsided 70-48 win over Adamson.
The highly anticipated showdown for the No. 4 spot turned into a one-sided affair, with Jared Brown leading the charge by scoring 14 of his 20 points in the first half.
The Blue Eagles established a substantial 40-26 lead at halftime and maintained their dominance throughout the game.
Now, having successfully staved off elimination in the playoffs, Ateneo faces the formidable task of defeating the top-ranked University of the Philippines twice in the Final Four to keep their title-retention bid alive.
The upcoming clash between the Blue Eagles and the Fighting Maroons, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, promises to be a fierce battle.
Despite acknowledging their underdog status against UP, Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin expresses confidence in his team’s heart and hints at strategic surprises.
The Blue Eagles and the Fighting Maroons, frequent contenders in recent championship series, are set to renew their rivalry in pursuit of a coveted spot in the Finals. The teams previously split their head-to-head meetings in the elimination round.
In the other Final Four duel at 6 p.m., second-seeded La Salle, on an eight-game winning streak, will face off against third-ranked National University.
The Green Archers and the Bulldogs, with a 1-1 record this season, are expected to deliver another intense matchup.
The scores:
Ateneo (70) – Brown 20, Quitevis 11, Amos 10, Ballungay 7, Bongo 4, Obasa 4, Koon 3, Nieto 3, Credo 3, Espinosa 3, Lazaro 2, Chiu 0, Gamber 0, Tuano 0.
AdU (48) – Erolon 9, Hanapi 8, Calisay 5, Manzano 4, Yerro 4, Montebon 4, Sabandal 4, Magbuhos 3, Lastimosa 3, Barasi 2, Ramos 2, Colonia 0, Ojarikre 0, Cañete 0, Barcelona 0, Anabo 0.
Quarterscores: 24-15, 40-25, 56-39, 70-48
(ai/mnm)
MANILA — Reigning champion National U drubbed Adamson, 25-13, 26-24, 25-20, and booked a finals return trip in the Shakey’ Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Season 2 Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
The Lady Bulldogs erased a 22-24 deficit in the second set before banking on a hot start in the clincher to score yet another straight-sets victory and shore up their back-to-back championship bid.
It’s the seventh sweep in a row for the mighty NU squad that needed only 83 minutes to capture the win in the knockout semifinals with skipper Erin May Pangilinan and reigning MVP Alyssa Solomon spearheading the way.
NU will face off against either Far Eastern U or University of Santo Tomas – which were still playing as of press time – in the best-of-three finale of the SSL Season 2 backed by Mikasa, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Summit Bottle Water, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, R and B Milk Tea, Potato Corner, Rebel Sports, Converge ICT Solutions, Genius Sports and United Auctioneers, Inc.
Pangilinan fired 11 points on seven hits, two blocks and two aces, including a bevy of clutch hits in the pivotal second set while Solomon cashed in 10 points on seven attacks, two blocks and an ace.
Former UAAP Rookie-MVP Mhicaela Belen, Evangeline Alinsug and rookie Arah Ella Panique contributed nine, eight and seven points, respectively, for the wards of returning mentor Norman Miguel.
“We have to check first kung sino makakalaban namin. From there, doon na manggagaling lahat ng adjustments namin. But again, ganoon pa rin naman sa finals kung ano yung tinatrabaho namin,” said Miguel, mentioning passing, blocking and floor defense as areas of improvement for his wards moving forward.
“Going into the finals, dapat sabay-sabay ang kundisyon nila. Yun ang kailangan naming trabahuhin.”
NU, which wiped out Pool A in the prelims and Pool E in the playoffs before making short work of the University of the East in the quarterfinals, 25-19, 25-21, 25-23, picked up where it left off by pouring it down on Adamson with a dominant 25-13 first-set win.
In the second set, Lady Bulldogs nearly yielded their first set all-tournament long after staring at a 22-24 deficit off an Ayesha Juegos’ hit for the Lady Falcons only for Pangilinan to come to their rescue.
Pangilinan’s thunderous attack forced the deuce at 24-all followed by Panique’s soft touch and her block on Jimy Jean Jamili to cap a 4-0 finishing kick for a thrilling 26-24 win.
The lethal duo of Belen and Solomon then took over from there, anchoring a 10-6 start in the third set en route to a sweep.
Jamili, Ayesha Juego and Jen Villegas fired seven each for Adamson, which will duke it out against the loser between FEU and UST for the bronze medal of SSL Season 2 in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education and the Philippine Sports Commission.
Meanwhile, in the classification phase, College of St. Benilde trounced Ateneo, 25-20, 19-25, 25-11, 25-11, to arrange a duel against UE for fifth place. Ateneo and Arellano will fight for No. 7.
All SSL Season 2 games are accessible across all platforms live and on-demand through the social media pages of Plus Network and SSL with Solar Sports, Blast TV and Aliw Channel 23 as TV partner.
(ai/mnm)
Games Sunday
(Rizal Memorial Coliseum)
11 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE/AU
2 p.m. – NU vs AdU
5 p.m. – FEU vs UST
MANILA — Vengeful University of Santo Tomas fended off College of St. Benilde, 25-15, 25-16, 19-25, 32-30, in the thrilling knockout duel to catch the last bus in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Season 2 Final Four Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
The Golden Tigresses wasted a huge lead in the fourth set before recovering in time behind the heroics of Regina Jurado, Jonna Perdido, and Bianca Plaza for a sweet payback in the extended quarterfinals against the gritty Lady Blazers after a tough five-setter defeat in Game 1.
UST, with a win-once bonus as the No. 2 seed, thus marched on to arrange a semifinal battle against Far Eastern U for a seat in the championship of the SSL Season 2 backed by Mikasa, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Summit Bottle Water, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, R and B Milk Tea, Potato Corner, Rebel Sports, Converge ICT Solutions, Genius Sports and United Auctioneers, Inc.
Reigning champion National U, the only unbeaten team in the tourney, and Adamson is in the other pairing of the knockout Final Four today (Sunday) with the survivors advancing to the best-of-three finale starting on Friday.
Regina Jurado unloaded 16 points on 15 hits, an ace, and a block, including a bevy of clutch hits in the fourth set to show the way for UST to replicate a Final Four feat in the inaugural season.
Perdido and Angeline Poyos added 16 and 15 points, respectively, while Plaza made her presence felt down the wire with four points highlighted by the last two points for UST to win the extended duel, 32-30.
“We’re a young team against a veteran St. Benilde squad na two-time NCAA champion. Nakita nyo kung gaano sila ka-solid, ayaw talaga bumitaw. Nanalo kami sa disgrasya. Nadisgrasya namin sila sa huling palo kasi lahat ng set-up at attacks at combination play namin, nakapag-adjust sila,” said UST mentor Kungfu Reyes.
“Credits to St. Benilde. ‘Yun nga, we’re a young team and nahatak kami ng nahatak going into the semis. Malaking bagay sa amin ito lalo twice-to-beat kami, tapos twice beaten. ‘Yun sana ang branding namin.”
On the heels of a 22-25, 25-23, 25-18, 23-25, 11-15 loss in Game 1, UST imposed its will early by taking a commanding 2-0 lead only to cool down in the third set with a 25-19 defeat as two-time reigning NCAA champion St. Benilde proved its pedigree once again.
The Golden Tigresses moved on the verge of a quick 3-1 victory with a 24-21 lead in the fourth only to witness another Lady Blazers’ fightback to force a deuce and even snatch the driver’s seat at 27-26 off a Gayle Pascual hit.
Jurado and Perdido took turns neutralizing Rhea Mae Densing’s late hammers for a 30-all score before Plaza, who just subbed in the match for blocking purposes, uncorked two straight surprise attacks to lift UST to the hard-earned win.
Pascual and Densing fired 16 and 15 points, respectively, for St Benilde under the watch of coach Jerry Yee.
Meanwhile, Ateneo takes on St. Benilde in the other bracket of the classification matches with the University of the East and Arellano playing as of press time for the 5th-8th spots in the SSL Season 2 in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education and the Philippine Sports Commission.
All SSL Season 2 games are accessible across all platforms live and on-demand through the social media pages of Plus Network and SSL with Solar Sports, Blast TV, and Aliw Channel 23 as TV partners.
(AI/MNM)
MANILA — La Salle has once again added to its impressive collection of achievements by emerging victorious in the inaugural Shakey’ Super League (SSL) National Invitationals championship. In a thrilling Game 3 showdown against Adamson on Sunday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan, La Salle secured a 25-19, 25-22, 25-17 win.
The Lady Spikers demonstrated their prowess yet again, dispatching the Lady Falcons in a swift 89 minutes of play to complete a reverse sweep in the best-of-three championship series.
Following a heartbreaking five-set defeat in Game 1 (25-22, 17-25, 25-17, 25-27, 14-16), La Salle came back strong with a clinical performance in Game 2 (25-23, 25-12, 25-18), setting the stage for their dominant showing in the decisive match. The team exhibited remarkable teamwork and skill diversity to secure their victory.
Tournament MVP Shevana Laput led the charge with 13 points, comprising 11 hits and two blocks. She was one of four players to reach double-digit scores, as La Salle solidified its position at the pinnacle of the SSL after having previously dominated the UAAP last season.
Laput maintained an impressive finals average of 20.3 points, highlighted by a standout 30-point performance in Game 1, followed by an 18-point contribution in Game 2.
Contributions were not limited to Laput, as Thea Gagate (1st Middle Blocker), Amie Provido (2nd Best Middle Blocker), and Alleiah Malaluan (2nd Best Outside Hitter) each chipped in with 10 points. Their collective efforts epitomized La Salle’s supremacy in the 12-team SSL nationwide tournament, presented by Eurotel as the official hotel and Victory Liner as the office transport provider, in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Assistant coach Noel Orcullo emphasized, “For us, exposure was the main goal here, but becoming champions is a bonus. It’s great because, to some extent, we identified areas for improvement that need adjustment before the upcoming UAAP season.” This victory was achieved even in the absence of UAAP Rookie-MVP Angel Canino.
Trailing 8-11 early in the first set, La Salle unleashed a decisive 10-1 surge, culminating in a Gagate block that propelled them to an 18-12 lead. This set the tone for the subsequent sets, where La Salle’s dominant play continued.
With a commanding 18-7 lead resulting from a Laput hit, the Lady Spikers endured a late rally by the Lady Falcons, holding on for a narrow 25-22 win thanks to crucial plays by Provido and Gagate.
From that point onward, La Salle maintained control and clinched victory with a confident 9-4 start in the third set. This triumph in the historic SSL tournament was also made possible with support from sponsors including Mikasa, Team Rebel Sports, Summit Bottled Water, Genius Sports, Potato Corner, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken and Sauce Bar, and R&B Tea.
Despite an impressive Game 1 performance by Lucille Almonte, who scored 24 points for the Lady Falcons, Adamson settled for a commendable silver medal finish under the guidance of new coach JP Yude, following their third-place finish in UAAP Season 85.
Other notable awardees included Bernadett Pepito (Best Libero) and Angeline Poyos (1st Best Outside Hitter) from the University of Santo Tomas, which secured the bronze medal with a decisive 2-0 sweep against the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta.
Fans had the opportunity to catch all SSL matches live and on-demand through Plus Network Digital Media Services, CNN Philippines, Solar Sports Entertainment, and TAP Sports, which served as media partners for the event.
The historic National Invitationals, with the support of individuals like Boy Tuikinhoy of Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc., Alex Adeva of Northern Mindanao Volleyball Association of Coaches and Referees, and the San Juan Red Cross chapter, were also broadcasted live in all Shakey’s branches nationwide. (ai/mnm)
In a reversal of fortune, La Salle retaliated against Adamson during Game Two with a triumphant score of 25-23, 25-12, 25-18 at the FilOil EcoOil Center on Saturday, August 12.
La Salle’s victory extended its Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals Best-of-Three Finals series with Adamson into a pivotal third game.
Once again, Shevana Laput displayed her mettle by contributing 18 points, spearheading the Lady Spikers’ resurgence.
This impressive performance marked a rebound from their previous defeat of 25-22, 17-25, 25-17, 25-27, 14-16 last Wednesday.
Regrettably, this loss overshadowed Laput’s remarkable achievement of a career-high 30 points.
Backing up Laput, Amie Provido showcased her prowess with 13 points, propelling the match towards a climactic winner-take-all Game Three scheduled for Sunday, August 13, at the same venue. (ai/mnm)
Adamson U squad (Spin.ph photo courtesy)
MANILA — Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals 2023 perennial UAAP contenders La Salle and Adamson secured quarterfinal berths by convincingly defeating their opponents at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.
La Salle, the reigning UAAP champion, triumphed over CESAFI runner-up University of Southern Philippines Foundation with a swift 25-14, 25-15, 25-19 victory in just 70 minutes.
Meanwhile, Adamson, the UAAP bronze medalist, achieved a similar result by blanking NCAA runner-up Lyceum, winning 25-17, 25-18, 25-22 in a 71-minute match.
La Salle’s Alleiah Malaluan played an instrumental role, amassing 13 points with 12 impressive hits, helping the team sweep Pool A in the historic SSL nationwide tilt. The event is presented by Eurotel as the official hotel and Victory Liner as the official transport provider, in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
In their earlier match, the Lady Spikers dominated the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, winning 25-11, 25-17, 25-12. Shevana Laput and Katrina Del Castillo provided valuable support, contributing 10 points each to the team’s success.
Despite their strong performances, La Salle isn’t complacent as they head into the knockout playoffs. Missing key players like UAAP Rookie-MVP Angel Canino and ace libero Justine Jazareno, they know they must continue to push their limits to achieve their goals in the tournament. (ai/mnm)