Scoring 35 points in a UAAP women’s volleyball game is a rare feat — so extraordinary that it has only happened twice in league history.
Before the start of the UAAP Season 87 Women’s Volleyball Tournament, only Ateneo de Manila University star Alyssa Valdez and University of Santo Tomas legend Sisi Rondina had achieved this milestone.
Valdez first set the record with a 35-point performance in a 25-21, 25-22, 19-25, 16-25, 10-15 loss to Adamson University in Season 75 on January 20, 2013.
Over six years later, Rondina matched that mark with her own 35-point outing in a 25-19, 25-22, 25-27, 22-25, 11-15 reverse sweep defeat to Ateneo in their Season 81 second-round opener on March 20, 2019.
Then came Shaina Nitura, who took the Season 87 field by storm.
The Adamson Lady Falcons rookie ended the first round of her collegiate debut with a dominant 38-point explosion built on 35 attacks and three aces against the UP Fighting Maroons.
Dubbed ‘The Phenom,’ Valdez already admired Nitura’s brilliance after Creamline’s sweep of Chery Tiggo to open their PVL All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals campaign last Tuesday, March 18, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
This time, it was Rondina who took a moment to commend Nitura’s record-shattering performance.
With Nitura’s impressive work ethic, Rondina did not feel surprised to see the 20-year-old rewriting the UAAP record books.
Prior to her 38-point explosion, Nitura had already set the rookie scoring record with 33 points in Adamson’s reverse sweep of Ateneo on February 16. She surpassed the previous 31-point mark set by Golden Tigress Angge Poyos, who achieved that milestone three times in Season 86.
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
“Grabe. Ikaw na, lodi. Sobrang galing nung bata and I can say na grabe yung work ethic niya, makikita mo talaga every game. Naka-38 points agad siya. Sobrang idol,” Rondina told Tiebreaker Times after Choco Mucho’s five-set win over PLDT in Game 2 of the quarterfinals on Thursday evening at the same Pasig venue.
Rondina maximized her UAAP stint with UST, playing all five years of her eligibility from Season 77 to Season 81. She represented both the Tiger Sands in beach volleyball and the Golden Tigresses in indoor volleyball.
Given the rare opportunity to compete in the UAAP, Rondina hopes Nitura stays focused and determined throughout her journey, especially with a whole second round and four more years of eligibility ahead.
One major hurdle in Nitura’s rookie campaign is Adamson’s current 2-5 standing heading into the second round, which begins on Saturday, March 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“Sana i-enjoy lang niya yung UAAP journey niya kasi ilang taon lang pwede maglaro diyan, and for sure gagawin niya ang lahat para makuha at ilaban yung team nila,” Rondina concluded.
#WATCH: “IKAW NA ANG LODI!” 🔥
UST legend Sisi Rondina shows love to Adamson rookie Shaina Nitura after her record-breaking scoring feat! 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#UAAPSeason87 #PVL2025 pic.twitter.com/wCGUEYIocq
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 20, 2025
