Adamson University locked in on business and secured the final girls’ semifinals berth in the UAAP Season 87 high school beach volleyball tournament, defeating UP Integrated School, 21-8, 21-15, on Friday at Sands SM By The Bay.
Ella Gonzalvo and Maegan Pineda ensured that the Junior Fighting Maroons duo of Janella Guarino and Anya Capus would not stage another upset, taking control early in the do-or-die match.
Their dominant performance propelled the Baby Falcons to a fourth-place finish in the eliminations with a 2-3 record.
With Adamson’s qualification, this season’s Final Four lineup mirrors last year’s.
National University Nazareth School (NUNS) swept the elimination round with a perfect 5-0 record. It clinched the No. 1 seed after Vilmarie Toos and Faith Mangyao dismantled De La Salle-Zobel’s Aislinn Alemaña and Kylie Celada, 21-5, 21-2, in a swift 24-minute match. The Bullpups will face the Baby Falcons in Sunday’s semifinals.
Defending champion University of Santo Tomas secured the No. 2 seed with a 4-1 record, as Cheng Dadang and Angelica Del Mar dominated Far Eastern University-Diliman’s Sheena Cafe and Sheila Pascual, 21-15, 21-10, in a preview of their upcoming Final Four showdown.
The Baby Tamaraws, who finished third at 3-2, aim to avenge their loss against the three-peat-seeking Tiger Sands in the semifinals.
UPIS, which claimed its first-ever beach volleyball victory by defeating De La Salle-Zobel last Sunday, ended its campaign in fifth place with a 1-4 record. Meanwhile, the Junior Lady Spikers finished winless at 0-5.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
In the boys’ division, league-leading UST and back-to-back title-seeking NUNS secured two of the semifinal spots.
The Tiger Sands extended their perfect run to 5-0, as JM Lagaran and Lance Malinao dispatched University of the East’s Clarence Gianan and Buenaventura Limpin, 21-11, 21-13.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Meanwhile, the Bullpups climbed to second place at 5-1 after Wayne Dionela and Kian Tan cruised past Ateneo’s Santiago Avila and Kevin Gabia, 21-5, 21-9.
They later returned in the afternoon to overwhelm UPIS’ Terren Villanueva and Marcus Bamba, 21-1, 21-13, in just 23 minutes—winning the first 20 points of the match before closing out the first set in just nine minutes.
Adamson stayed within striking distance of NUNS at 4-1, with Brice Malinao and Gian Ygot dominating De La Salle-Zobel’s Antonio Papa and Mario Roxas, 21-10, 21-16.
FEU-D climbed to 3-2 after Zedrick Calimlim and Coronel overpowered UPIS’ Villanueva and Bamba, 21-6, 21-7.
The Junior Green Spikers dropped to 2-3, while the Junior Warriors and Junior Fighting Maroons slipped to 1-4 and 1-5, respectively.
Ateneo’s struggles continued, as the Blue Eagles suffered their fifth consecutive defeat.
