NUNS, Tay Tung clash for crown

National University Nazareth School (NUNS) and Bacolod Tay Tung set up a dream winner-take-all championship match after sweeping their respective rivals in the 2025 Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup Division 1 semifinal Friday at the La Salle Green Hills Gym.

The Lady Bullpups earned a breakthrough gold medal match appearance after an emphatic sweep of Emilio Aguinaldo College, 25-16, 25-15, 25-11, while the Thunderbolts secured another crack at the title with a 25-20, 25-15, 25-18, dismantling of De La Salle-Lipa.

The protagonists of the recently concluded Ilocos Norte Palarong Pambansa will fight for all the marbles in the country’s biggest grassroots volleyball league backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea on Saturday.

Sam Cantada’s scoring prowess was on full display as the reigning University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Most Valuable Player erupted for a game-high 20 points to bring NUNS closer to adding the SGVIL crown to its collection following its UAAP and Palarong Pambansa conquests.

Harlyn Serneche posted 11 points, Denesse Daylisan had 10 points while setter Rihanna Navarro tallied 14 excellent sets and added five points for NUNS, which extended its unbeaten winning run to six matches without dropping a single set.

Cantada and Serneche accounted for 11 attacks each as the Lady Bullpups outspiked the Lady Brigadiers, 41-18.

Angel Perez paced EAC, which saw its five-game winning streak snapped, with 13 points off seven kills, five aces and a kill block.

Last edition’s runner-up Bacolod Tay Tung banked on Rhose Almendralejo’s 18-point explosion, all off attacks, for a second straight championship appearance.

“We wanted a rematch against NU, thankfully the Lord gave us that chance. Now we’re back in the championship,” Almendralejo said.