University of the East and University of the Philippines seized the early spotlight as the only teams to notch victories on the opening day of the 2026 UAAP VALORANT Tournament on Sunday evening at the MVP Studios in Mandaluyong City.
The Red Warriors, playing without head coach Vincent Paul Lubio after he was hospitalized due to dengue, dominated two-time bronze medalist Ateneo de Manila University, 2-0, to take the early lead in Group A.
“Masaya kami na strong start kami this season unlike the previous two seasons na naging kulelat. Nagstart kami nang strong at ipagpapatuloy pa namin to,” said UE stalwart Francis Andrei De Guzman.
He added that Lubio’s absence gave the Red Warriors added motivation to deliver the victory for their coach.
“Mas tinry naming manalo pa rin para sa kanya kasi nga hindi siya naka-attend,” he said, while also crediting sixth man Robin Sevilla for playing a crucial role as the team’s stand-in coach. “Kanina po, yung sixth man namin yung nagmo-motivate and nag-a-analyze kung saan kami nagkakamali or ano yung kulang namin.”
UE raced to a 10-2 lead in Game 1 behind Hannz Nickson Balajadia’s 13 kills and eight assists and never looked back, cruising to a 13-7 victory.
The Recto-based squad carried the momentum into Game 2, winning nine consecutive rounds to build a commanding 9-1 advantage.
John Gabriel Sunga then took charge to finish off the Blue Eagles, exploding for 24 kills and an assist as UE completed the sweep with a 13-5 victory.
Earlier in the day, last season’s runner-up University of Santo Tomas erased a 10-6 deficit in Game 2 to pull off a 13-10 comeback victory and salvage a 1-1 split against Adamson University.
UE now leads Group A with three points, while Adamson and UST share second place with one point apiece.
(C) UAAP Media Team
In Group B, UP delivered a statement performance with a resounding 2-0 sweep of Far Eastern University.
The Fighting Maroons conceded just three rounds in the opener before closing out Game 1 with seven straight rounds for a commanding 13-3 victory.
The Tamaraws delivered a more solid performance in Game 2, forcing UP into an 8-all deadlock before the Fighting Maroons won five of the next seven rounds to complete the sweep.
National University also held defending champion De La Salle University to a 1-1 split, forcing a tie for second place in Group B.
NU squandered a 10-7 lead in Game 1 as La Salle forced overtime behind Gerardo Corpus II’s heroics before Lucas Gruenberg sealed a 15-13 comeback win with the final two kills.
The Bulldogs once again saw a 10-7 advantage disappear in Game 2, but Clark Louie Dalit delivered six kills in the final two rounds to secure a series-tying 14-12 win.
The games are broadcast on One Sports’ YouTube channel, Pilipinas Live, the Varsity Channel, and One Sports.
