Adamson University shut down its University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 87 women’s volleyball campaign with an impressive 25-13, 25-21, 25-18 sweep of the University of the Philippines (UP), Sunday afternoon at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The victory marked the Lady Falcons’ third win in their last four outings, which included monumental victories over defending champion National University (NU), and the fourth-ranked Far Eastern University (FEU).
Adamson wrapped up the eliminations with a 6-8 record, a significant improvement from last season’s 3-11 finish.
More than that, the Lady Falcons avenged their heartbreaking first-round loss to the Fighting Maroons, where rookie standout Shaina Nitura made history by scoring 38 points, breaking the UAAP women’s volleyball single-game record previously held by Alyssa Valdez and Sisi Rondina.
The Fighting Maroons gave a valiant effort in the third set, briefly taking a 16-15 lead after a block by American middle blocker Kassy Doering.
However, Adamson quickly responded with a 5-0 run, capitalized by three UP errors and two attacks from Mayang Nuique, to take control of the match.
Nitura led the Lady Falcons with 22 points, followed by Nuique with 13 and Frances Mordi with 11. In contrast, UP struggled to find double-digit scorers.
“I’m very proud of how the players performed today. They’ve been working hard all season long, and despite the ups and downs, they were able to come together as a team in this final match,” Adamson head coach JP Yude said.
“This victory is not just a testament to their skills but also to their resilience. It’s a great way to end the season and gives us a lot of promise for the future.”
The loss dropped UP to an identical 6-8 record to end their season, matching their best finish since Season 81 in 2019. Despite losing their final two matches, the Fighting Maroons showed resilience throughout the campaign.
In the men’s division, NU closed its impressive elimination round with a 25-22, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22 win over University of Santo Tomas (UST).
The win gave the Bulldogs a 12-2 record, securing second place in the standings and setting up a semifinal clash against the same team they battled in the last two finals series.
Despite missing star hitter Michaelo Buddin due to an ankle sprain, NU powered through with a solid team effort to complete its elimination-round sweep of UST, including a four-set victory in their first-round matchup last 16 March.
UST, who had a five-game winning streak snapped, finished the elimination round with a 9-5 record, earning a spot in the Final Four. The defeat also set the stage for a No. 2 vs. No. 3 semifinal matchup, where NU holds a twice-to-beat advantage.