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

NU completes UAAP dominance in lawn tennis

The Patrimonio siblings ensured National University will take home the tennis crown in UAAP Season 77 this past weekend at the Olivarez Sports Center.

The Lady Bulldogs swept their way to the championship, making quick work of UST, 3-0, to sweep the finals, 2-0, at the Paranaque facility.

Clarice, who was named as this season's MVP, defeated Macy Gonzales, 6-2 6-2 in the first singles, while Hannah Espinosa and Junnelyn Polito took care of Lenelyn Milo and April Santos, 6-2 6-1 in the first doubles. Tin, on the other hand, clinched the trophy with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Kendies Malinis in the second singles.

It was during the previous week that their male counterparts, led by MVP Fritz Verdad, took home the championship with a perfect 11-0 season and 33 straight match victories.

NU volleyball in do-or-die action

Games today at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum:
2 p.m. – NU vs UST (men semis)
4 p.m. – FEU vs NU (women step-ladder)

National University will have a full afternoon of action at The Big Dome today, with the resumption of postseason collegiate volleyball action.

Kicking off the doubleheader is the men's Final Four matchup against UST at 2pm. The defending champions forced a winner-take-all match after beating the second seeds, 26-24, 28-26, 23-25, and 25-21 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Awaiting the winner is top seed Ateneo on Wednesday. The Blue Spikers dispatched Adamson in the other Final Four matchup.

The second game of the doubleheader features the Lady Bulldogs going up against Far Eastern University in the official start of the stepladder postseason in women's volleyball.

NU has gone 6-3 since the move to hire Roger Gorayeb as head coach, who remains hopeful that they can replicate the feat Ateneo did last season in its ascent to the championship.

The Lady Tamaraws completed the cast after defeating old rivals UST in a a playoff, 25-21, 25-15, 20-25, 16-25, 15-6. The win marks their return to the postseason after missing out on the last two seasons. Libero Tin Agno was the only player from that squad that is still on the roster.

For head coach Shaq delos Santos, he wants to see the Lady Tamaraws to remain focused and enjoying the game, as they play their fourth straight elimination match. He adds, "Maganda ang ikinikilos ng NU, pero hindi kami nawawalan ng pag-asa. Nakakaakyat na kami. Yung butas ng karayom, napapalaki namin. Pero hindi kami puwedeng mag-relax dahil tiyak na magiging intense ang pangyayari sa game (today),"

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.

La Salle takes finals seat in UAAP baseball

La Salle claimed the other remaining finals seat in UAAP baseball, defeating Ateneo, 14-12 at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The Green Batters built a seven-run lead early on, taking advantage of the Blue Batters' throwing miscues. The defending champions, however, mounted a comeback and threatened to send the game into extras, but Carlos Munoz held on for the save in the ninth inning. He capped off the win with a strikeout of Renzo Ramos.

Head coach Joseph Orillana shared that he told Carlos not to feel the pressure and just do it "one out at a time." He adds that the upcoming finals matchup between the arch-rivals will be more about the pitchers.

Ateneo already secured the first finals seat thanks to winning the first seven games this season, although their form in going for the three-peat might be put into question due to losses in their final three matches.

La Salle's win snuffs out any hopes for UP's postseason chances, even with their 7-4 triumph over NU. The Maroon Batters have a 5-4 record, with a suspended match against La Salle still to be played.

The best-of-three finals will take place starting on March 5 at the same venue.

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.

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.

NU, UST hold serve in UAAP Season 77 tennis

The Olivarez Sports Center played host to the UAAP lawn tennis tournament, with a triple tie atop the men's leaderboard after the opening weekend.

Three-peat seeking Fritz Verdad and National University opened their Season 77 campaign on a rousing note,  dispatching UE and Ateneo with 4-1 victories to extend their winning streak to 24 games.

Joining NU on top are UP and UST. Both schools needed close 3-2 victories (both over La Salle) to complement their 4-1 wins (against Ateneo for UP and against UE for UST).

On the women's side, UST secured the early 2-0 lead to temporarily forge ahead in the standings.

Anchored on Kendies Malinis, the Female Tennisters from Espana defeated UP, 4-1, then squeaked past La Salle, 3-2.

Meanwhile, the Patrimonio siblings (Season 76 MVP Tin and rookie Clarice) powered National University to a 4-1 win over UP to kick off their title defense.

La Salle is in third place with a 1-1 record after defeating Ateneo, 4-1. The Katipunan schools have lost all of their matches so far (Ateneo 0-1, UP 0-2).

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.

NU claims UAAP Girls' Volleyball title

NATIONAL University took its first-ever UAAP girls volleyball crown Thursday at the Adamson gym

National University secured its first girls' volleyball crown in the UAAP, needing four sets to dethrone University of Santo Tomas, 25-21, 28-26, 26-28, and 25-12.

NU avenged their defeat in last year's finals, as they took the title via a two-game sweep. They capped the title with a Jennifer Nierva spike to give the F. Jhocson school the championsip.

Nierva was feted as the Best Server for the season, while teammate Faith Nisperos was named as the MVP. Also feted were Rica Diolan as Best Setter and Christine Magallanes as the Best Libero.

In spite of the championship defeat, UST will not go home empty-handed, as Eya Laure and Pauline Gaston were named as the Best Attacker and Best Blocker, respectively.

The other ladies who secured individual awards are La Salle-Zobel's Mildred Dizon as Best Receiver, and Far Eastern University-Diliman's Rachel Ann Fabro as the Rookie of the Year.

The other match saw the Ateneo Blue Eaglets secure a finals berth, pulling out a 25-20, 28-26, and 27-25 upset of second-seed National University. Win sets up a clash against the undefeated University of the East, who are seeking their eleventh straight title in boys' volleyball.

UST maintain edge in UAAP taekwondo

The University of Santo Tomas maintained their hold atop the men's taekwondo standings, defeating La Salle, 4-3, to win their fifth straight match at the San Juan Arena.

Aries Capispisan clinched the win after defeating Gerry del Rosario in the light-heavyweight division for the Tiger Jins, with the other three victories coming from Joaquin Mendoza, Paul Romero and Rhey Catris.

Meanwhile, National University gained solo third place with a 4-3 win over the University of the Philippines, while FEU entered the win column with a 6-1 decision over Ateneo.

In the women's side, defending champions La Salle dominated their University of the East counterparts, 6-1, to forge a three-way tie atop the standings.

This was the case after UST dealt the first loss of UP, 4-3, with Jane Narra clinching the win with a 7-6 result over Cyrmyn Perlas.

Providing the other three wins for the Lady Tiger Jins are Season 76 MVP Nicole Cham, Colleen Heria, and Korina Paladin.

Meanwhile, in the other match, National University won their second match with a 5-2 victory over Ateneo.

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.

UST, UP lead charge in UAAP Season 77 Taekwondo

The first two playdates for UAAP taekwondo at the San Juan Arena sees UST pave the way for the men, while UP leading the way for the women.

The Tiger Jins opened their campaign on Tuesday with a 6-1 thrashing of FEU, followed by a narrow 4-3 win over UE. They followed that up on Thursday with a 5-2 win over NU and a 7-0 trouncing of Ateneo to accomplish a 4-0 record.

Defending champions La Salle and UE are just behind UST at 3-1, with the Green Jins' lone loss coming from last season's cellar dwellers NU, 4-3 on Thursday.

Alfred Joseph Avila, Aljon Ortonio, Dave Cea and Alven Alcantara secured the wins for NU, who had just joined the competition last season. The Bulldogs in solo fourth place with a 2-2 mark, one game ahead of Ateneo and UP. Far Eastern University is at the bottom, remaining winless after four matches so far.

In the women's side, UP still remains undefeated after four matches. The Season 76 runners-up blanked Ateneo, 7-0, and dispatched FEU, 6-1, to open its campaign on Tuesday. They would then nip NU, 4-3, and defeat UE, 5-2, to go 4-0.

Defending champions UST was tripped up by Ateneo on Tuesday, 4-3. Wins from Thea Bermejo, Weedee Valenzuela, Kyla Relucio and Frances Siapno secured the only victory for the Lady Jins of Katipunan so far this season. In contrast, that was the only loss the Female Jins have had this in four outings this season, good enough for a tie for second place alongside La Salle.

FEU is in fourth place with a 2-2 record, one game ahead of Ateneo and NU, while UE is at the cellar with no wins after four games.