The UAAP boys volleyball Final Four is locked in. University of the East and National University Nazareth School claimed the last two semifinal spots on Sunday at the Blue Eagle Gym, while UST and FEU-Diliman secured twice-to-beat advantages in the UAAP Season 89 High School Boys' Volleyball Tournament.
UAAP boys volleyball Final Four spot sealed by UE
UE, a finalist last season, outlasted Adamson in four sets, 33-31, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, behind Steven David's 29-point explosion. The opening frame stretched past 30 points before an off-the-block attack finally gave the Junior Warriors the set.
Adamson forced a fourth set through Lance Babon and James Bernabe, but UE pulled away at 20-15 and closed it out on Khian Hiyao's quick attack. Prince Padrones, Jack Parde and Emmanuel Marcelino combined for 30 points, Robrie Cardero had 19 excellent receptions and Mharl Dullete dished out 31 excellent sets.
Bernabe finished with 21 points and Babon added 18 for Adamson, which dropped to 5-7 and was eliminated from contention with its seventh loss in 12 games. UE coach Arnaldo Dino said his side is taking nothing for granted.
"We have a tough opponent, and NU is still there … we're not complacent but we still need to work," Dino said. "The kids' game changes a bit, like [today]. Suddenly they play well, suddenly they drop. Still, our goal remains the same, to get in."
NUNS reach a 14th straight Final Four
NUNS had far less trouble, overwhelming UPIS 25-20, 25-13, 25-12 for its eighth win of the season. Ronnie Millan led the Bullpups with 10 points on six attacks, three blocks and an ace, while Ar-Raquib Dais chipped in eight.
The Bullpups closed the match with a 12-1 run, capped by Dais' attack, to book a 14th consecutive Final Four appearance. Prince Jimenez scored 13 points, all on attacks, for UPIS, and Justin Jusayan added 11 points and 10 excellent receptions as the Fighting Maroons fell to 4-10.
Coach Edgar Barroga admitted the campaign fell short of preseason targets, pointing to injuries, but said the remaining elimination games will be used to prepare for the semifinal stage.
"We're a bit disappointed with this season because what we expected, to be either one or two, kind of slipped away. So maybe because of all the unfortunate things happening, like the kids' injuries. But still, we're happy to be here in the top four," he said.
"For the remaining games we have left, our goal there is just to experiment for our preparation for the twice-to-beat [stage] as number two or number one."
UST and FEU-Diliman lock up twice-to-beat edges
UST swept De La Salle Zobel, 25-15, 25-21, 25-15, with team captain Karl Escobal pacing the Junior Golden Spikers with 15 points on 14 attacks and 10 excellent digs. Bernard Capuno added 10 points, while Kian Gabriel and Jireh Torotoro contributed six apiece.
Andrei Montillano was the lone double-digit scorer for DLSZ with 11 points, and John Arguelles had eight points and 13 excellent receptions as the Junior Archers slipped to 3-10.
FEU-Diliman was even more emphatic earlier in the day, sweeping Ateneo 25-9, 25-17, 25-16 behind Kenneth Maliwanag's game-high 14 points, including five service aces. It was the Baby Tamaraws' fifth straight victory, while Ateneo stayed winless after 11 games, with Kirby Manalang's six points the best output for the Blue Eagles.
Analysis: top seed still to be decided
Both UST and FEU-Diliman sit at 11-1 with two elimination games left, so the twice-to-beat bonus is banked but the No. 1 spot is not. That matters because Barroga's own framing suggests NUNS expect to land on either side of that bracket.
For UE and Adamson, the contrast is stark: one team survived a 33-31 grind and moved on, the other ran out of answers in the fourth set. The Junior Warriors will need cleaner stretches than their third-set dip if they want to hang with the top two.
The original report on these UAAP Season 89 results was published by tiebreakertimes.com.ph.
