Filoil Flying V Premier Cup set to kick off basketball preseason

The premier preseason tournament for college basketball is set to begin this weekend, with the start of the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup.

18 schools are slated to participate, divided into two groups:

Group A: Adamson, EAC, FEU, JRU, Letran, NU, Perpetual, CSB, USJ-R
Group B: CEU, La Salle, Mapua, Lyceum, San Beda, UE, UP, UST, SWU

Both groups will have a single round-robin, with the top 4 teams advancing into the crossover quarterfinals. (in case of ties, quotient is to be used to break ties)


In the Juniors, ten schools are slated to participate:

Group A: Ateneo, La Salle-Zobel, JRU, Letran, San Beda
Group B: Adamson, FEU-FERN, La Salle-Greenhills, Malayan, NU

Much like their elder counterparts, a single round-robin will be held, but the top two teams advancing into the crossover semifinals.

Apr 25 (Saturday) - Opening Day
12nn Ateneo vs San Beda (Jrs. A)
2pm UE vs UST (Srs. B)
4pm La Salle vs San Beda (Srs. B)
6pm JRU vs FEU (Srs. A)

Apr 27 (Monday)
10am NU vs Malayan (Jrs. B)
1145am Lyceum vs CEU (Srs. B)
130pm Letran vs USJ-R (Srs. A)
315pm JRU vs CSB (Srs. A)
5pm Mapua vs UP (Srs. B)

Apr 29 (Wednesday)
1145am Letran vs JRU (Jrs. A)
130pm USJ-R vs JRU (Srs. A)
315pm Perpetual vs Letran (Srs. A)
5pm UST vs Mapua (Srs. B)

May 1 (Friday)
1145am Adamson vs NU (Jrs. B)
130pm EAC vs USJ-R (Srs. A)
315pm CEU vs UP (Srs. B)
5PM UE vs Lyceum (Srs. B)
                   
May 2 (Saturday)
1145am La Salle-Greenhills vs NU (Jrs. B)
130pm USJ-R vs Perpetual (Srs. A)
315pm CSB vs EAC (Srs. A)
5pm San Beda vs UST (Srs. B)
                   
May 6 (Wednesday)
10am FEU-FERN vs La Salle-Greenhills (Jrs. B)
1145am CSB vs USJ-R (Srs. A)
130pm UE vs Mapua (Srs. B)
315pm Letran vs FEU    Srs. A
5pm Lyceum vs La Salle (Srs. B)
                   
May 8 (Friday)
1145am FEU-FERN vs Adamson (Jrs. B)
130pm Perpetual vs EAC (Srs. A)
315pm USJ-R vs NU (Srs. A)
5pm CEU vs Mapua (Srs.B)

May 9 (Saturday)
1145am La Salle-Zobel vs Letran (Jrs. A)
130pm FEU vs USJ-R (Srs. A)
315pm Lyceum vs San Beda (Srs. B)
5pm UP vs La Salle (Srs. B)

May 13 (Wednesday)
10am Adamson vs Malayan (Jrs. B)
1145am USJ-R vs Adamson (Srs. A)
130pm EAC vs Letran (Srs. A)
315pm UE vs CEU (Srs. B)
5pm CSB vs NU (Srs. A)

May 15 (Friday)
10am JRU vs Ateneo (Jrs. A)
1145am Lyceum vs UP (Srs. B)
130pm EAC vs NU (Srs. A)
315pm JRU vs Letran (Srs. A)
5pm CEU vs San Beda (Srs. B)

May 16 (Saturday)
1145am San Beda vs La Salle-Zobel (Jrs. A)
130pm Adamson vs Perpetual (Srs. A)
315pm NU vs FEU (Srs. A)
5pm La Salle vs UE (Srs. B)

May 20 (Wednesday)
10am NU vs FEU-FERN (Jrs. B)
1145am CSB vs FEU (Srs. A)
130pm Adamson vs Letran (Srs. A)
315pm UP vs UST (Srs. B)
5pm NU vs JRU (Srs. A)
                   
May 22 (Friday)
10am La Salle-Zobel vs JRU (Jrs. A)
1145am EAC vs JRU (Srs. A)
130pm Mapua vs SWU (Srs. B)
315pm San Beda vs UP (Srs. B)
5pm NU vs Adamson (Srs. A)

May 23 (Saturday)
1145am Letran vs San Beda (Jrs. A)
130pm Perpetual vs FEU (Srs. A)
315pm UST vs CEU (Srs. B)
5pm SWU vs La Salle (Srs. B)

May 27 (Wednesday)
10am La Salle-Greenhills vs Adamson (Jrs. B)
1145am Lyceum vs UST (Srs. B)
130pm UP vs SWU (Srs. B)
315pm CSB vs Adamson (Srs. A)
5pm Mapua vs La Salle (Srs. B)

May 29 (Friday)
10am FEU-FERN vs Malayan (Jrs. B)
1145am Adamson vs EAC (Srs. A)
130pm Mapua vs Lyceum (Srs. B)
315pm Letran vs CSB (Srs. A)
5pm SWU vs UE (Srs. B)

May 30 (Saturday)
10am Ateneo vs Letran (Jrs. A)
1145am Perpetual vs JRU (Srs. A)
130pm FEU vs Adamson (Srs. A)
315pm San Beda vs SWU (Srs. B)
5pm CEU vs La Salle (Srs. B)

Jun 03 (Wednesday)
10am CSB vs Perpetual (Srs. A)
1145am UE vs UP (Srs. A)
130pm SWU vs UST (Srs. B)
315pm NU vs Letran (Srs. A)
5pm Mapua vs San Beda (Srs. B)

Jun 05 (Friday)
10am San Beda vs JRU (Jrs. A)
1145am Lyceum vs SWU (Srs. B)
130pm EAC vs FEU (Srs. A)
315pm JRU vs Adamson (Srs. B)
5pm Malayan vs La Salle-Greenhills (Jrs. B)

Jun 06 (Saturday)
10am La Salle-Zobel vs Ateneo (Jrs. A)
1145am Perpetual vs NU (Srs. A)
130pm SWU vs CEU (Srs. B)
315pm UE vs San Beda (Srs. B)
5pm UST vs La Salle (Srs. B)

June 10 (Wednesday)
10am A1 vs B4 (Srs QF1)
12nn A2 vs B3 (Srs QF2)
2pm A3 vs B2 (Srs QF3)
4pm A4 vs B1 (Srs QF4)

June 12 (Friday)
10am A1 vs B2 (Jrs SF1)
12nn B1 vs A2 (Jrs SF2)
2pm Winner QF1 vs Winner QF3 (Srs SF1)
4pm Winner QF2 vs Winner QF4 (Srs SF2)

June 14 (Sunday)
10am Battle for 3rd Juniors Division
12nn Juniors Division Finals           
2pm Seniors Battle for 3rd           
4pm Seniors Division Finals

UAAP chess updates

La Salle is at the cusp of snatching its first UAAP men's chess title in over a decade.

The Green Woodpushers defeated defending champions Far Eastern University, 2.5-1.5 in the penultimate round of the competition, moving them closer to snatching the trophy they last won in 2004.

With 37.5 points, all La Salle needs to do is defeat Adamson this weekend to assure themselves of the title.

The Falcons, fresh from a 4-0 annihilation of UE, trail the leaders by 1.5 points. Overcoming that deficit means they end their 25-year title drought.

UST remained in third place after beating Ateneo, 2.5-1.5, raising the Tiger Woodpushers' total to 31.5, while NU defeated UP with the same score to remain in fourth place with 28.5 points.

On the women's side, it is FEU currently on top with 42.5 points after their 3.5-0.5 win over UST. Four-time defending champions La Salle are just two points back after their 3-1 win over UE. The two schools will meet this weekend to decide the championship.

The other results show UP assuring themselves of a third place finish with a 2.5-1.5 win over Ateneo, while NU and Adamson played to a 2-2 draw.

In the juniors, NU has virtually wrapped up the title after FEU's 1.5-2.5 loss to Adamson. The Bullpups defeated UE 3.5-0.5 to raise their total to 33.5 points.

Lady Bulldogs make women's volleyball postseason

NU officially booked its seat in the postseason for the third straight season with a tightly fought four-set victory over Adamson, 25-18 22-25 26-24 25-19.

Jaja Santiago led the way with 25 points, including six blocks, while Rizza Mandapat added 12 points and nine digs for head coach Roger Gorayeb. The duo joined forces to allow the Lady Bulldogs to pull away in the fourth set after a 7-all deadlock.

Mylene Paat and Jessica Galanza led the Lady Falcons with fifteen markers each, while Amanda Villanueva added fourteen.

In the second game, FEU forced a four-way tie for the fourth and final spot in the stepladder by defeating UP, 19-25 25-15 25-19 and 25-19.

Head coach Shaq delos Santos was pleased to see their willingness to win, noting that the skills are already there. He adds, "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."

Bernadette Pons topscored with 20 points and 11 digs, while Remy Palma netted 16, including three blocks.

The Lady Maroons, hampered by an ineffective Nicole Tiamzon all-game long, were led by Angeli Araneta and Marian Buitre, who combined for 26 points.

That spot will receive some clarity this weekend, as FEU and Adamson duke it out in one matchup, while UST (against UE) and UP (against NU) seek to muddle the picture.

On the men's side, Ateneo dispatched La Salle, 25-17 27-25 and 25-21 to guarantee itself of at least a playoff for the twice-to-beat advantage, while UST continued its course to snatch that with a 25-12 28-26 and 25-21 straight set win over UP.

UP, La Salle in huge UAAP football tiff

The last Thursday game of Season 77 men's football will guarantee a new league leader.

La Salle and UP tangle at the FEU-Diliman artificial turf in the main event for the afternoon doubleheader, coming off 2-0 victories this past weekend.

Still feeling the sting of losing Gelo Diamante to a clavicle injury, the Green Booters have somehow cobbled together a patchwork unit up front, using the likes of Chuck Uy, Christian Zubiri, Yoshi Koizumi, and even stellar defender Nico Villacin to compensate for the Davao native's absence. At 26 points, Hans Smit's side would move up to solo first with a win.

Meanwhile, UP didn't have a couple of their key defensive cogs in Kobe Ochoa and Patxi Santos for their win over UE last Saturday. As long as they do not lose, Anto Gonzales' men would move into solo first.

Opening the doubleheader will be the matchup of UE and Adamson. Already out of the postseason race, both teams seek to pursue a positive close to their season.

The two matches will be televised LIVE on Sports+Action in lieu of its normal Friday telecast due to the live coverage of the UAAP Juniors basketball finals.

12 straight for Ateneo in UAAP women's volleyball

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 Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Arena:
8 a.m. – Ateneo vs FEU (men)
10 a.m. – La Salle vs UST (men)
2 p.m. – UST vs UP (women)
4 p.m. – FEU vs NU (women)

Defending champions Ateneo made history on Wednesday afternoon at the Mall of Asia Arena, as they defeated UST, 25-18 25-22 and 25-22 to remain unbeaten this season after twelve games.

Alyssa Valdez's 21 points led the charge as the Lady Eagles reached the 12-win mark in the eliminations for the first time. Amy Ahomiro and Michelle Morente combined to score 23 points, while Jia Morado contributed 33 sets.

"We are really thankful we survived this game talaga. It was very well played. Yung UST, sobrang ganda ng game nila, yung depensa nila. Ipinapakita sa amin na marami pang kailangan na mai-improve," said the reigning MVP.

Much like their win against FEU, the ladies of head coach Anusorn Bundit got some breaks due to opposing errors late, dooming them to back-to-back losses after stringing together four straight wins.

The victory, however, came with some worries, as both Aeriel Patnongon and Maddie Madayag suffered left ankle injuries, with the latter not being able to continue. Valdez herself also had her wrist taped a bit after getting a knock while hustling for a ball. In a positive note, Bea de Leon was suited up to play, although the rookie's services was not needed for this one.

In the other women's match, La Salle continued their impressive form with a 25-6 25-17 and 25-17 victory over winless UE. Ara Galang and Mika Reyes led the Lady Spikers with ten markers apiece.

For last season's finals participants, yesterday marked the first day of their cramped schedule, to be capped off by their much anticipated second round meeting on February 18.

Earlier, the postseason cast for men's volleyball was officially set, after defending champions National University eliminated Far Eastern University, 25-13 25-23 25-23. Adamson had officially booked its seat after dispatching a winless UE side, 25-16 25-15 and 25-20.

UAAP high school basketball postseason cast finalized

Ateneo closed out its eliminations campaign at the UAAP in dominating fashion, as the Blue Eaglets routed the National University Bullpups, 76-49, inside the Blue Eagle Gym this past Saturday afternoon.

Mike Nieto showed why he is poised to be named as the MVP, scoring 29 points and grabbing ten rebounds. The senior nearly matched the defending champions' team output in scoring in the first quarter, netting himself twelve points to give the Eaglets a 25-13 lead after ten minutes.

Lorenzo Joson added ten points, eight of which came in the second period, as they continued to pull even further away to erect a 47-29 lead.

Nieto ensure no attempted comeback will take place, outscoring the Bullpups 13-10 in the final ten minutes. 

The victory completes a 14-0 eliminations for last season's losing finalists, a feat that earns them an automatic return trip and its accompanying thrice-to-beat advantage.

With Ateneo's sweep, the stepladder format will be invoked into action, but the official matchups will only be sorted out once a playoff game will be played first.

Adamson and La Salle-Zobel ensured that said playoff will happen after dispatching their respective opponents in contrasting fashion.

The Baby Falcons rode on Gerald Fernandez, Miguel Sasuman, Frederick Tungcab, and James Pasturan to defeat UST, 76-67, securing their first postseason since 2008. The foursome finished with a combined fifty points and twenty rebounds.

Adamson ran over the Tiger Cubs in the first quarter, forcing the also-ran side to 16 turnovers leading to seventeen points and a 31-7 lead at the end of the period. UST tried to come back in the fourth quarter through the efforts of Patrick Lapena and a defense that forced the Baby Falcons to go 2/14 from the field, but the lead proved to be too massive to overcome.

On the other hand, the Junior Archers survived their virtual-playoff against Far Eastern University, 60-58, to open the scheduled quadruple-header.

Aljun Melencio made two free throws with 8.5 second remaining to provide Zobel with a 59-55 lead. Brandrey Bienes managed to cut the lead to just one with around five seconds left, but Miguel Cabarrus made the first free throw and missed the second for the final score. Ricky Peromingan would then miss his desperation heave that could have been the game-winning shot for the Baby Tams.

Melencio finished with fourteen points, five rebounds, two assists, and five steals. Joaquin Banzon led all scorers with eighteen points on 8/12 shooting, while Marvin Lee topscored for FEU with 16 points.

In the lone non-bearing game of the day, the UE Junior Warriors finished the season winless after bowing to UPIS, 93-65.

Adamson and La Salle-Zobel's wins, coupled with NU's loss, means that a triple tie was forged involving the three teams at 9-5. To break the tie and determine the stepladder match-ups, the two teams with the superior quotient (Adamson and NU) will face off on Tuesday afternoon, with the winner taking a twice-to-beat advantage and the second seed, while the loser will be tagged as the third seed and will face the Junior Archers in a sudden-death game to kick off the postseason officially on Thursday.

Second-semester UAAP updates

Bat-related sports kicked off their respective seasons this past weekend, with perceived contenders opening with positive results.

Defending champions Ateneo began their quest for a three-peat with a victory over Adamson at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium. The Blue Batters took a 4-0 lead before holding on to a 5-3 win.

Ateneo relied on the arm of last season's MVP, Andy Tan, who fanned five Falcons, to lead the charge.

The other results saw the Green Batters of La Salle defeat UP, 19-5 in seven innings, while UST took care of NU, 8-3.

In softball, NU invoked the "mercy rule" against Ateneo with a 15-5 victory. The Lady Bulldogs needed just six innings to secure the opener.

La Salle defeated last season's third placers UST, 7-3, while UE bested UP, 10-4.

As for Adamson, they extended their winning streak to 49 games with a 11-1 victory against UST. 

At the Olivarez Sports center, NU continues its dominance in collegiate lawn tennis, losing just one match over the four games this past weekend.

Led by last season's MVP Fritz Verdad, the Bulldogs dispatched La Salle, 5-0, before taking care of things against UST, 4-1. On the distaff side, the Patrimonio siblings (Christine and Clarice) swept La Salle and Ateneo, 5-0.

Trying to chase NU down are UST and UP in the men's division (both toting 3-1 records), while UST totes the same win-loss record as the defending champions in the women's division.

UAAP Season 77 second round college football schedule

For those looking for the men's football schedule for the UAAP, this is the latest official one that was released on Monday night Tuesday afternoon.

Thursday matches are bookmarked to be televised on Friday afternoons on Sports+Action.

Women:

DATE	VENUE	TIME	LIGHT	VS	DARK
JAN. 24	ATENEO	4PM	UST		FEU
JAN. 25	FEU-D	1PM	La Salle		Ateneo
FEB. 1	ATENEO	3PM	UP		Ateneo
	FEU-D	1PM	La Salle		FEU
FEB. 7	ATENEO	4PM	UP		FEU
	ATENEO	6PM	UST		La Salle
FEB. 14	ATENEO	4PM	FEU		Ateneo
FEB. 15	FEU-D	1PM	UP		UST
FEB. 21	ATENEO	4PM	Ateneo		UST
	ATENEO	6PM	La Salle		UP

Top two teams will advance to the finals, which will take place in March at Rizal Memorial.

Men:

DATE	VENUE	TIME	LIGHT	VS	DARK
JAN. 24	ATENEO	6PM	NU		UE
JAN. 25	ATENEO	1PM	UP		Ateneo
	ATENEO	3PM	UST		Adamson
	FEU-D	3PM	FEU		La Salle
JAN. 29	FEU-D	1PM	UE		Ateneo
	FEU-D	3PM	La Salle		UST
JAN. 31	ATENEO	4PM	UP		NU
	ATENEO	6PM	Adamson		FEU
FEB. 1	ATENEO	1PM	UST		UE
	FEU-D	3PM	Ateneo		La Salle
FEB. 5	FEU-D	1PM	Adamson		NU
	FEU-D	3PM	FEU		UP
FEB. 8	ATENEO	1PM	UST		UP
	ATENEO	3PM	UE		La Salle
	FEU-D	1PM	Ateneo		Adamson
	FEU-D	3PM	NU		FEU
FEB. 12	FEU-D	1PM	NU		UST
	FEU-D	3PM	FEU		Ateneo
FEB. 14	ATENEO	6PM	UE		UP
FEB. 15	ATENEO	1PM	NU		Ateneo
	ATENEO	3PM	FEU		UST
	FEU-D	3PM	La Salle		Adamson
FEB. 19	FEU-D	1PM	Adamson		UE
	FEU-D	3PM	La Salle		UP
FEB. 22	ATENEO	1PM	UP		Adamson
	ATENEO	3PM	La Salle		NU
	FEU-D	1PM	FEU		UE
	FEU-D	3PM	Ateneo		UST

Top four teams will advance to the semifinals, which will take place in March at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

UAAP, NCAA revises schedule due to Papal visit

With the Papal visit coming next week, both the UAAP and NCAA each made the unilateral decision to not have events during the 15th to 19th, and in some cases, in the run-up to it.

Football is one of the events affected by the decision, with eight UAAP and at least six NCAA matches having to be postponed by the presence of Pope Francis.

With the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex as a police and military headquarters starting today, January 10, the City of Manila has declared the facility as off-limits. As a result, the NCAA has moved the remaining second round matches for its juniors and seniors matches at the said complex to January 21 to 23. If there is a need for a playoff, it has been scheduled to take place on the 26th.

The complete details on the revised NCAA football schedule can be read below.

Updated #NCAA90Football Schedule pic.twitter.com/KXQAdkFouk
— Cathy Nazareno (@catnazareno) January 7, 2015

Although the matches are taking place in Quezon City, the UAAP has also opted to shift the dates of its matches.

It has moved the January 15 matchup featuring National University against La Salle, and Ateneo against FEU to January 14, still at FEU-Diliman. ABS-CBN's Al Neri has confirmed that these two matches will be televised, although no specifics have yet been given pertaining to when they will be shown.

As for the matches that had been scheduled on January 18 and 19, they have been moved to January 21 and 22.

The women's matches have been converged as a doubleheader to take place on the 21st at the Moro Lorenzo Field inside Ateneo de Manila. UP will face La Salle at 1pm, followed by Ateneo versus FEU at 3pm.

The men's matches, on the other hand, will be played at FEU-Diliman. The 21st will have UE against NU at 1pm, followed by Adamson against Ateneo at 3pm. The 22nd will have UST and La Salle at 1pm, followed by UP against FEU at 3pm. No details have yet been revealed if these matches will be televised.

Meanwhile, UAAP football action resumes this weekend before the Papal break, with today's matches at the Moro Lorenzo Field. Kicking off the double-header is the women's match between defending champions FEU against their Season 75 finals opponents La Salle at 4pm. The second game sees UP attempt to take solo leadership in men's football against UE at 6pm.

Tomorrow will have its customary simultaneous games at FEU-Diliman and Moro Lorenzo. The latter will have the lone women's matchup between UST and current leaders UP at 1pm, followed by the highly anticipated rivalry between the men's football teams of Ateneo and La Salle at 3pm. The former, on the other hand, will have defending champions FEU against Adamson at 1pm, followed by UST against NU at 3pm.

The complete details on the revised UAAP collegiate schedule can be seen below.

Revised schedule for @UAAP_77 mens and womens football. No play during papal visit. @UAAPSportsTV pls RT! @alsneri pic.twitter.com/ApJQETUkDR
— Bob Guerrero (@PassionateFanPH) January 5, 2015

As for the UAAP second round, it is scheduled to begin on January 24 and will last until February 22. The postseason takes place on March 1 and 8 and will be at Rizal Memorial.

As for the UAAP Juniors Football tournament, January 24 kicks off seven Saturday afternoons of high school football at FEU-Diliman, capped off by the title game on March 7. UST, La Salle-Zobel and Ateneo aim to knock off FEU off their title perch.

Alfafara and Espejo lead MVP charge in UAAP 77 men's volleyball

Games Sunday at The Arena in San Juan:

8 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (men)
10 a.m. – UP vs NU (men)
2 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (women)
4 p.m. – UE vs La Salle (women)

The last two MVPs in UAAP men's volleyball are leading the way in the chase for this season's top individual award.

Season 75 MVP and UST ace Mark Alfafara is tops in the league in scoring with 106 points (on 95 spikes, eight blocks, and three service aces), while Season 76 ROY-MVP Marck Espejo is in second with 93 points (78 attacks, eight blocks, and seven service aces).

Completing the top five in scoring are freshman Edward Camposano of UE (82 points), Romnick Rico of UST (81 points), and Fauzi Ismail (76 points) of the two-time defending champions NU.

The Bulldogs remain undefeated so far this season, and it is in part due to the efforts of three players leading the league in certain categories.

Ismail is the top spiker so far with a 56.8% rating, while last season's Finals MVP Peter Torres is the top blocker with a 1.11 average per set. Vince Mangulabnan is the top server with a 0.56 average per set.

Completing the cast of outstanding men's volleyball players so far are Adamson's Rence Melgar, who leads the league in digs (3.05 per set) and in receiving (46.89%), while Ateneo Blue Spiker Ish Polvorosa is the top setter (9.11 per set).

Volleyball action will kick off 2015 for the UAAP, with the Ateneo facing UE at 8am, followed by NU against UP at 10am.

*Stats come from TMX Sports, which is the official statistician for UAAP volleyball.

Ara Galang and Alyssa Valdez lead UAAP women's volleyball MVP race

Games Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Arena:

8 a.m. – Ateneo vs UE (men)
10 a.m. – UP vs NU (men)
2 p.m. – UP vs Ateneo (women)
4 p.m. – UE vs DLSU (women)

Former high school teammates Ara Galang and Alyssa Valdez lead the race for the Most Valuable Player in Season 77 of UAAP women's volleyball heading into the holiday break.

Galang is leading the charge for the 5-0 Lady Spikers with 105 points (82 spikes, thirteen blocks, ten service aces) to top the league in scoring. 27 of those points came against Adamson on November 23, which is the highest point total in one game so far.

As for Valdez, the reigning MVP is the league's top spiker with a 45.33% success rating, as well as the best service with a 0.83 per set average. She is a far second behind Galang in the points tally with just 81 points (68 attacks, ten service aces, and three blocks).

Completing the top five in the scoring race are FEU's Bernadette Pons (76), NU's Jaja Santiago (75) and UP's Nicole Tiamzon (72).

To add to her top-five scoring feat, Santiago is second behind Valdez in spiking with a 41.29% clip.

In the blocking category, La Salle's Mika Reyes and Adamson's Mylene Paat each average 1.00 per set to lead the league.

Paat's teammate, Len Cortel, is setting the pace in digs with 3.29, followed by Tin Agno at 2.79 for FEU.

Sophomore standout Jia Morado from Ateneo is leading in setting with 10.67 per set, with last season's best setter Kim Fajardo in second place with 8.24.

Jia's fellow teammates Ella de Jesus and Denden Lazaro are 1-2 in receiving, with a 43.48% and 40% rating, respectively.

The league will resume action on Sunday at The Arena in San Juan, with the Battle of Katipuan at 2pm, followed the matchup of the best and worst teams in the league in La Salle and UE at 4pm.

*TMX Sports is the official statistician for UAAP volleyball.

Ateneo sweeps UAAP Season 77 HS Basketball first round

Standings

Ateneo 7-0
NU 6-1
La Salle-Zobel 5-2
FEU 4-3
Adamson 3-4
UST 2-5
UPIS 1-6
UE 0-7

Games Jan. 7 at the Blue Eagle Gym

9 a.m. – FEU vs UE
11 a.m. – NU vs UST
1 p.m. – DLSZ vs UPIS
3 p.m. – ADMU vs AdU

The Ateneo de Manila Blue Eaglets relied on their youth team standouts to end the 22-game winning streak of the defending champion National University Bullpups, 66-64, this past Saturday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

Mike Nieto received the pass from twin brother Matthew, then scored the game-winning lay-up with 2.5 seconds remaining to break the final deadlock. The twins combined to score 23 points.

Via @katelynneys_, the @bigmikenieto game-winner. @mattnieto5 dished it -> https://t.co/T26zBPNR89
— PHSports LiveScores (@LiveScoresPH) December 20, 2014

Matthew scored eight of his fifteen markers in the fourth quarter, all of which came in a span of 50 seconds, to give Ateneo the lead for good.

The defending champions did manage to crawl their way back in the game, capped off by a Philip Manalang triple with seventeen seconds remaining to set up Mike's heroics.

NU did have a chance to win the game, but Alfred Calma's corner triple missed.

Jolo Mendoza led all scorers with twenty points, while Mark Dyke had nineteen points and sixteen rebounds.

In a battle to see who finishes in third place after the first round, La Salle-Zobel escaped past FEU-Diliman, 55-50.

After Marvin Lee tied the game at 50-all with 82 seconds left, the Junior Archers managed to survive with free throws from Aljun Melencio, Joaquin Banzon, and Brent Paraiso, while the Baby Tamaraws squandered their chance to come closer with a couple of turnovers.

Melencio and Banzon each led Zobel with eighteen points, while Lee finished with twelve to guide FEU-D.

The other match-ups on Saturday ended with Adamson over UPIS, 56-50, and UST over UE, 77-65.

Second round action will kick off on January 7 after the holiday break.

UAAP Season 77 Men's Football Rosters

Freshmen are noted in italics. Players in their final year are noted with an *

Adamson University

Almacen, Kurt Christian A.
Alonzo, Tristan Miguel S.
De Guzman, Marc Linen L.
Dela Cruz, Ephraim Noah B.
Dimaano, Romeo A.
Espina, Goldwyn U.
Etis, Gerard Paul M.
Jumo, Bless Brian I H.
Jumo, Bless Brian Ii H.
Melliza, Khristian Paul G.
Orcine, Cyril Lee B.
Ortinez, Ricardo Jr J.
Pilarca, Jusuel J.
Ramos, Jackson Lee H.
Saculinggan, Christian Rae A.
Sayuman, Jaye Marc T.
Viray, Carl Jupiter D.
Yap, Nickie John Van B.

Ateneo

Acosta, Emilio R.
Alabanza, Jose Andres Martin P.
Alcuaz, Xavier Carlos Alvaro C.
Alilam, Paolo Gabriel R.
Baña, Rupert Ed D.
Castillo, Christian Michael S.
Colet, Kendall J.
Gaudiel, Renko Feliz R.
Liay, Leo Carlo R.
Lipardo, Jose Rafael G.
Mabanag, Michael Jeremy ..
Maniquis, Andreas Santiago ..
Marcelino, Wilson Keith B. *
Montemayor, Jin Daniel A.
Oracion, Jose Paolo C.
Ortiz, Enrique Thaddeus G.
Paredes, Emmanuel Josemaria D. *
Perdigon, Timothy Caleb L.
Plaza, Francisco Alberto M.
Rocha, Jeremiah Raphael P.
Roxas, Julian Vincent A.
Soriano, Jose Ignatius Mikael C.

La Salle

Alquiros, Nathanael Andrew G. *
Bonoan, Ramon Antonio S.
Borromeo, Hector Ian Jorge B.
Brago, Noel Timothy L.
Bustamante, Sabin Antonio S.
De Guzman, Raphael Clifford S.
Diamante, David Angelo R.
Diamante, Derrico Gabriel R. *
Gonzales, Inigo Rafael A.
Joseph, Rigoberto Carlos Dl.
Koizumi, Yoshiharu L.
Layumas, Gerald Mark P.
Montelibano, Jose Luis Ricardo L.
Montelibano, Rafael Luis Alfonso L.
Nierras, Matthew Erwin Thomas D. *
Uy, Charleston Franklin C.
Villacin, Nicholas Christian D.
Villamor, Karlo Miguel H.
Yang, Gregory Norman M.
Ybanez, Jhoguev P.
Zubiri, Cristian G.

FEU

Amita, Arnel A.
Balanueco, Janryl J.
Bugas, Paolo A.
Calamba, Justin Marc S.
Chavez, Noli John N.
Cubon, Reymart A.
Ferrer, Nicolas Jr. B.
Giganto, Eric Ben G.
Joyel, Ray Joseph E.
Jurao, Angelou Val S.
Laguerta, Earl Real M.
Lofranco, Jason S.
Melliza, Jesus Joaquin G. *
Menzi, Michael B.
Menzi, Audie B.
Mulero, Joshua O.
Rallos, Patrick Bonn F.
Salilig, John Martin T.
Villanueva, Justin Viance T.

NU

Abalunan, Francis Jay G.
Aban, Elijah J.
Alangilan, Rudgeson D.
Alivio, Eddie No.
Antipolo, Elgen R.
Araojo, Eric John S. *
Bungay, Marole M.
Casil, Arnel A.
Colina, Lawrence C.
Dagsa, Jerico A.
Frias, John Albert D.
Gomez, Jacob Shaun E.
Jalandoni, Jezer R.
Macapal, John Nico S.
Marcaida, Mark Jojo T.
Oren, Jonas S.
Pepito, Hayeson H.
Perocho, Chris Maverick C.
Regala, Darwin V.
Salenga, Paolo E.
Sullano, Jekar Francis D.
Valenzuela, Patrick B.

UE

Clores, Lendon L.
Dagaraga, Stephane B.
Echin, Alberto Jr A.
Feliciano, Ramil C`.
Galaura, Regil Kent B.
Lacsamana, Jeffrey Allen P.
Malayo, Jrv M.
Mallen, Jo NiÑo Ariel B.
Manzo, Khyndale Britz M.
Mayor, John Richard D. *
Medina, Kim Dustin M.
Musico, Mark Anthony T.
Paderagao, Jayvee B.
Polinag, Louie Joshua C.
Saldivar, Rino John P.
Santiago, Raymart Joshua F.
Sarona, Eric Jacinto Jr. V.
Sola, Rhoyet L.
Tulio, Michael G. *
Vergara, Mason Trent T.

UP

Aguilar, Vincent Karl P.
Alampay, Micah Jibril P.
Ancheta, Alfonso Ignacio S.
Baya, Fe B.
Bidar, Soheil E.
Bonoan, Juan Javier R.
Clarino, Julian Mariano N.
Condat, James Paul A.
Fermin, Joseph Ryan G.
Fernandez, Erik Lisandro F.
Gadia, Daniel Bernan R.
Maglinas, Rogie A.
Monfort, Carlos Alberto Gerardo J.
Muros, Nino F.
Ochoa, Jacob P. *
Rafanan, Lou Adrian E.
Santos, Francisco Jose Primo L.
Simms, Michael Nehemiah T. *
Valmayor, Gerardo W. *
Villanueva, Nathanael Ace P.
Yared, Jose Anton C.
Yatco, Albert Eli L. *

UST

Alcantara, Alexander Joaquin V.
Alcantara, Gabriel Daniel V.
Anotado, Steven Z.
Benecio, Dexter John L.
Bricenio, Marvin Jake D.
Busmion, Darwin Joshua B.
Busmion, Dionisio Jr. B.
Caballero, Ernest Duane G.
Catalino, John Rey S.
Celiz, Jogi B.
Clarino, Jean Mari N.
Feril, Jolem Q.
Jimena, Lord Irvin L.
Menares, Efren Jr B.
Molino, Jopridale M.
Ortañez, Norwyn Roi M.
Rivera, Marc Gyman B.
Salazar, Axl Lord C.
Tuzon, Kenneth B B.
Villarico, Josephus Y.

UE, NU finish atop UAAP HS volleyball elims

The University of the East swept through the field in the process of securing the first Finals slot in the UAAP Season 77 boys' volleyball tournament at the Adamson Gym.

The Junior Warriors dispatched La Salle-Zobel in straight sets, 25-15, 25-16, and 25-11 to complete a twelve-game sweep in the eliminations. UE is now two wins away from securing an eleventh-straight crown.

The stepladder post-season sees 3rd seed Ateneo (8-4) take on 4th seed UST (7-5) in a playoff, with the winner facing the 2nd seed NU (9-3) on a twice-to-beat disadvantage in the stepladder semifinals.

On the distaff side, National University easily handled Far Eastern University, 25-5, 25-13, and 25-13 to claim the top seed with a 11-1 record.

NU will face Adamson in the Final Four, with UST facing La Salle-Zobel in the other match-up. The defending champions clinched the second seed and will have a twice-to-beat advantage thanks to their 4-set victory over Adamson.

Adamson needed a playoff to secure that last postseason slot, going the full five sets to beat UE, 25- 21, 25-21, 17-25, 18-25, and 15-7.

La Salle secures finals in UAAP women's beach volleyball

Games on September 6 (Saturday) at the UE Caloocan sand court

9 a.m. – UST vs NU (Men’s Finals, Game 1)
9:30 a.m. – La Salle vs UST (Women’s Finals, Game 1)
10 a.m. – UST vs NU (Men’s Finals, Game 2)
10:30 a.m. – La Salle vs UST (Women’s Finals, Game 2)

La Salle and UST duke it out for the women's beach volleyball crown at the UE Caloocan sand court this weekend, after the Lady Spikers ousted defending champions Adamson, 21-11 and 21-14.

Amanda Villanueva and Marleen Cortel managed to get past FEU in straight sets, 21-13 and 21-15 to open the stepladder proper, but the duo just could not handle the attacking and combination plays of their Taft counterparts Cyd Demecillo and Kim Fajardo.

On the prospects of facing UST in their quest to give La Salle their maiden title in this event, Fajardo says, "Siyempre nandito na kami, maghahanda namin ng sobra. Hindi namin palalagpasin yung pagkakataon na nasa Finals kami. Paghuhugutan namin yung experience sa laro."

The Female Spikers own a thrice-to-beat advantage, thanks to their sweep of the eliminations. The rookie duo of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera are seeking the school's third beach volley title, which would put them level with Adamson as the winningest side.

On the men's side, UST and National University forged a finals rematch after dispatching their respective Final Four opponents.

The Male Spikers duo of Mark Alfafara and Kris Roy Guzman defeated FEU's Greg Dolor and Joshua Barrica, 21-15 and 21-14, while the Bulldogs' Edwin Tolentino and Josephnry Tipay took out Adamson's Rence Melgar and Michael Sudaria with identical 21-16 scores.

NU continues women's basketball domination

Standings:

NU 10-0
La Salle 8-2
UST 5-5
Adamson 5-5
Ateneo 4-5
FEU 4-5
UE 2-7
UP 0-9

Matches scheduled today:

8 a.m. – UP vs FEU (women)
10 a.m. – ADMU vs UE (women)

National University sealed the first postseason spot up for grabs this past weekend for the women's basketball tournament of the UAAP.

The Blue Eagle Gym played host to the Lady Bulldogs' tenth straight victory, a 67-50 dismantling of Far Eastern University, creeping closer to an undefeated eliminations and the reward of an automatic finals seat.

Shelly Gupilan and Afril Bernardino combined for 29 points and 15 rebounds for the win.

Chasing down the pacesetters are La Salle Lady Archers. The defending champions disposed of their rivals Ateneo, 53-37, for their eighth win of the season. Trisha Piatos led the charge with 15 points, while Cass Santos added 14 and 7.

Losses by the Lady Tamaraws and the Lady Eagles moved them behind in the race for postseason spots, as both the University of Santo Tomas and Adamson moved ahead of FEU and Ateneo win wins over their respective opposition.

The Tigressess pounced on the University of the East, 54-36, with Maica Cortes netting 10 and 10, while Adamson kept UP winless this season on the efforts of Jingky Balasta's twenty points.

FEU and Ateneo have a chance to get themselves back on level terms with UST and Adamson with wins in their matches today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Tamaraws face off against the Lady Maroons to kick off the basketball action today at 8am, while the Lady Eagles face the Lady Warriors at 10am.

UST maintans lead in UAAP Beach Volleyball

Men's Standings:

UST 3-0
NU 2-1
Ateneo 2-1
Adamson 2-1
FEU 2-1
UP 1-2
UE 0-3
La Salle 0-3

Women's Standings:

UST 3-0
FEU 3-0
La Salle 2-1
NU 2-1
Adamson 1-2
UP 1-2
Ateneo 0-3
UE 0-3

The University of Santo Tomas continue their pace-setting ways in the UAAP Season 77 beach volleyball tournament at the sand courts of UE Caloocan on Sunday.

The Tigers Spikers duo of Mark Gil Alfafara and Kris Roy Guzman kept the slate with identical 21-17 set victories against Adamson on Sunday, after surviving a three-setter against Ateneo on Saturday, 14-21, 21-12, and 15-12.

The Blue Spikers fell into a four-way tie in second place with a 2-1 record, joining NU, FEU, and Adamson.

On the women's side, UST also sets the pace with an undefeated 3-0 record. The rookie tandem of Rica Rivera and Cherry Rondina powered Lady Spikers of Espana to a 21-13 and 21-12 win over UE on Saturday, then followed that up with a 21-16 and 21-11 win over Ateneo's Michelle Morente and Jhoana Maraguinot.

Ateneo remained winless after three games after losing to the FEU tandem of Bernadette Pons and Charm Simborio, 21-15 and 21-7. The Lady Tamaraws are also atop the standings with a 3-0 record.

Just behind UST and FEU are La Salle and NU, both toting a 2-1 record. Defending champions Adamson are tied with UP for fifth place with 1-2 records. Ateneo and UE hog the basement for not having any wins so far this season.

NU, UP sweep UAAP Season 77 badminton eliminations

There will be a stepladder postseason at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Courts.

National University and the University of the Philippines took care of business in men's and women's badminton to secure an automatic finals seat, after sweeping the eliminations on Sunday.

NU turned back Ateneo, 3-2 to secure the finals seat and the thrice-to-beat advantage. The Blue Shuttlers' loss and La Salle's 5-0 domination over winless Far Eastern University ensures the Green Shuttlers are the second seed and hold the twice-to-beat advantage.

The defending champions will open the postseason in a "Battle of Katipunan" playoff, as UP defeated the Male Shuttlers of  UST, 4-1 in what constituted as a "play-in" game for the postseason. The other game saw Adamson end the season on a positive note with a 4-1 win over UE.

The Ateneo-UP matchup will take place on Wednesday morning at 9am. In their lone meeting in the eliminations last August 13, the Natividad brothers powered their way to a 4-1 win. Both team skipper Justin and his elder brother Pawee won their respective singles match, then they teamed up to win their doubles match as a tandem.

In the women's side, the University of the Philippines secured their finals seat with a 4-1 win over Far Eastern University.

La Salle forced a playoff for the right to finish second in the eliminations against Ateneo, beating their rivals, 3-2.

The Female Shuttlers of UST still have a chance to make it to the postseason, thanks to their 3-2 victory over UE. Both UST and FEU tote a 4-3 record, good enough to be tied for fourth in the standings.

The Ateneo-La Salle and UST-FEU matchups will take place also on Wednesday, at 1pm.

UAAP Beach Volleyball action commences

Defending champions Adamson opened its title defense with a straight sets victory over Ateneo yesterday at the sand courts of UE Caloocan.

The Lady Falcon duo of Amanda Villanueva and Marleen Cortel, who is attempting to fill the gap left by Season 76 MVP Shiela Pineda, outlasted the Lady Eagle tandem of Michelle Morente and Jhoana Maraguinot, 21-10 and 22-20.

Adamson's chance to sweep the day was denied by National University, as the duo of Jaja Santiago and Fatima General needed three sets to win, 19-21, 21-16, 15-9. The Lady Bulldogs lost their opener, 21-18 and 21-15 to Far Eastern University's pair of Bernadette Pons and Charm Simborio.

Meanwhile, the rookie duo of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera for the University of Santo Tomas defeated La Salle's Ara Galang and Cyd Demecillo, 21-18 and 21-13, while the University of the Philippines' Arylle Magtalas and Hannah Mangulabnan defeated their University of the East counterparts Francislyn Cais and Krysel Cueva, 21-17 and 21-18.


In men's beach volleyball, Adamson upset defending champions National University. Michael Sudaria and Rence Melgar won in straight sets against Edwin Tolentino and Josephnry Tipay, 21-17 and 21-19.

The other men's results sees Ateneo over La Salle, 21-16 and 21-14, FEU over UE, 21-10 and 21-14, and UST over UP, 21-16 and 21-14.

Comprehensive UAAP Second Round Schedule for Collegiate Basketball

Here are the combined schedules for the UAAP collegiate basketball games for the second round: (women's games are italicized)

August 16 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am La Salle vs Adamson
10am NU vs UST
2pm Adamson vs UST
4pm UE vs UP

August 17 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am Ateneo vs UP
10am FEU vs UE
11am FEU vs NU
4pm Ateneo vs La Salle

August 20 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am Adamson vs NU
10am UST vs La Salle
2pm NU vs Adamson
4pm UE vs Ateneo

August 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am UST vs UE
10am Adamson vs UP
2pm La Salle vs UP
4pm UST vs FEU

August 24 at the Blue Eagle Gym (for women) and SMART-Araneta Coliseum (for men):

9am NU vs FEU
11am La Salle vs Ateneo
2pm Adamson vs UE
4pm Ateneo vs NU

August 27 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am UP vs FEU
10am Ateneo vs UE
2pm UP vs UST
4pm FEU vs DLSU

August 30 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am NU vs Ateneo
10am UE vs La Salle
2pm UP vs FEU
4pm UST vs Ateneo

August 31 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am UP vs UST
10am FEU vs Adamson
2pm DLSU vs Adamson
4pm NU vs UE

September 3 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am La Salle vs UP
10am UE vs NU
2pm UP vs Ateneo
4pm Adamson vs FEU

September 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena:

8am FEU vs UST
10am Adamson vs Ateneo
2pm Ateneo vs Adamson
4pm La Salle vs UST

September 7 at the Blue Eagle Gym (for women) and the SMART-Araneta Coliseum (for men):

9am NU vs UP
11am FEU vs La Salle
2pm NU vs UP
4pm FEU vs UE

September 10 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:

8am UE vs Adamson
10am Ateneo vs UST
2pm UE vs La Salle
4pm NU vs UST

September 13 at the UST Gym (for women) and the SMART-Araneta Coliseum (for men):

9am UP vs UE
11am Ateneo vs FEU
1pm UST vs Adamson
2pm Ateneo vs FEU

3pm La Salle vs NU4pm La Salle vs NU

September 14 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum = UAAP Cheerdance Competition

September 16 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum

2pm UST vs UE
4pm UP vs Adamson