University of Santo Tomas and defending champion Adamson University arranged a UAAP showdown in the Finals of the 2026 V-League Collegiate Challenge after sweeping their respective semifinal opponents on Saturday at the FilOil Centre.
The Golden Tigresses punched the first ticket to the championship round with a clinical 25–16, 25–21, 25–15 victory over Arellano University, before the Lady Falcons followed suit by dispatching the University of the East Lady Warriors, 25–21, 25–17, 25–20.
UST and Adamson will face off in a best-of-three Finals series, beginning Wednesday, October 7, at the same San Juan venue.
For the Golden Tigresses, timely blocks proved decisive as they capitalized on their two-set advantage to take the fight out of the Lady Chiefs in the third frame.
Marga Altea and Zinny Unekwe were solid at the net, while setter Cassie Carballo delivered a net kill of her own for an 8–2 lead.
Altea then scored three straight midway through the set, including another block and two easy putaways from the net, to give UST a 16–9 cushion that it carried all the way to the end.
“Siyempre, happy kami (to reach the Finals), especially yung mga players kasi nga medyo shaky kami buong eliminations. Pero good thing na nakapag-perform kami nang maayos. Not enough do’n sa gusto naming mangyari, but good sign siya na may future ‘yung team,” said head coach Shaq Delos Santos, who is in his second year back with the squad.
Reg Jurado anchored the Tigresses on both ends, finishing with 19 points off 16 attacks, one block, and two service aces, along with five digs.
Altea chipped in 13 points, including four blocks, while also producing eight excellent receptions. Angge Poyos added 13 markers, three of them coming from the service line.
UST had to overcome a slow start in the opening set before a 1–2 play from Carballo and a down-the-line kill from Altea helped create a five-point cushion.
Arellano stayed within striking distance in the second frame behind Cris Servidad and Catherine Chu, while UST gave away several points through errors. Altea, Poyos, and Jurado eventually restored control for the Tigresses and put them within a set of the Finals.
Delos Santos knows his team will need more than skills and chemistry as UST returns to the championship round.
“Dapat maging precise ‘yung galaw namin sa lahat ng aspects. And hopefully ‘yung tapang. Sabi nga namin, binibigay namin every day ‘yung maibibigay namin sa skills. Yung talent andiyan, pero ‘yung tapang, sipag, ‘yung dedication, dapat manggagaling sa kanila,” said the seasoned mentor.
No Lady Chief finished in double figures, with Keisha Abitria coming closest at nine points off the bench. Servidad was limited to seven, while Chu added four.
(C) V-League Images
Later in the day, Adamson made sure to do its job.
With captain and Alas upstart Shaina Nitura back in the starting lineup, the Lady Falcons wasted no time in completing their own sweep and moving one step closer to defending their crown.
Riding the momentum of a two-set advantage, Adamson leaned on the same formula that had carried it through the opening two frames—relentless defense at the net and on the floor—to erase deficits and eventually seize control.
Frances Mordi delivered a kill in transition before the Lady Falcons’ defensive pressure forced Keisha Famulagan into a reaching-over-the-net violation, giving Adamson a 22–19 lead.
Adamson had to shake off a sluggish start in the opening set before Fhei Sagaysay found Mordi for consecutive back-row kills, putting the Lady Falcons ahead, 22–21.
A Dote block and an attack error by the Lady Warriors handed Adamson set point, which Janna Dizon promptly converted with a service ace.
Buoyed by the first-set escape, the Lady Falcons surged to a five-point, 13–8 lead in the second, with Nitura and Lhouriz Tuddao finding the lines with strong hits.
Van Bangayan and Bea Zamudio tried to pull UE back into the frame, but Nitura delivered the finishing blows to give Adamson a 2–0 advantage and put the defending champions within reach of another Finals appearance.
Nitura nearly produced a triple-double in her first full match back in Adamson white, finishing with 13 attacks, nine excellent receptions, and 15 digs. Still, the captain was even prouder of what the team had accomplished while she watched from the sidelines.
“Happy ako kasi collectively binubuhat talaga nila ‘yung team. Bawat posisyon may ginagawa talaga and gusto talaga nilang manalo. Nagbubunga na rin ‘yung investment namin sa sarili namin: ‘yung pagod, ‘yung iyak, ‘yung hirap sa mga past tournaments namin,” said the seasoned captain.
Mordi once again led Adamson’s offense with 14 points, all from attacks, while Tuddao and Eloi added 12 and six, respectively.
Now one step away from a second straight crown, head coach JP Yude wants to see more of his team’s character when it takes on UST.
“One thing is talagang ‘yung application ng aming mga ginagawa sa training, on how we study the opponents and on how we apply it during the game. And then, ‘yung response talaga during pressure moments,” said the concurrent high school girls’ head coach.
“I know the capabilities of my players, pero sa mga pressure and bad situations, do’n talaga masusukat ‘yung character nila. Yun talaga ‘yung gusto ko pang ma-develop sa kanila,” Yude added.
No Lady Warrior finished in double figures, with Edcynth Brago coming a point shy at nine. Bangayan and Zamudio added six and eight points, respectively.
With the semifinals now settled, UST and Adamson will shift their focus to a championship clash between two UAAP rivals, while Arellano and UE will battle for bronze on Wednesday.
