Daven Tamayo

UST, Benilde face off for Shakey’s crown

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17848901480402O0A1777.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>The UST Golden Tigresses at the 2026 Shakey’s Collegiate National Invitationals. Handout/SSLMANILA — Undefeated University of Santo Tomas (UST) and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde set up a championship clash after sweeping their respective rivals in the knockout Final Four of the 2026 Shakey’s Collegiate National Invitationals on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.</div>The Golden Tigresses copped their sixth straight win in as many games after a quick work of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 25-10, 25-19, 25-12, for a breakthrough finals appearance.Meanwhile, the Lady Blazers crushed Australian guest team Southern Storm Melbourne, 25-19, 25-23, 25-11, for a chance to settle an unfinished business after a runner-up finish in the competition’s Luzon leg last year.The winner-take-all championship is slated Sunday at the Playtime FilOil Arena in San Juan.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/volleyball/2026/7/15/ust-sweeps-one-la-salle-through-to-semis-of-shakey-s-tilt-1708">READ: UST sweeps One La Salle, through to semis of Shakey&#x27;s tilt </a></div>Camila Bartolome paced the Lady Blazers, who also beat the Australians in their elimination round meeting last Thursday in four sets, with 14 points on 12 kills, one ace and one kill block.“I think ‘yung nakatulong sa amin kanina is yung composure. Kasi kahit galit na si coach, hindi pa rin kami nagpapadala. Mas eager kaming manalo ngayon,” Bartolome said.Fionna Inocentes finished with 11 markers while Mhonniecka Soliven and Mary Grace Borromeo added eight and seven points each.CSB erased a 15-20 deficit in the second set with a red-hot 10-3 run punctuated by an off-speed hit by Soliven for a 2-0 match lead. The Lady Blazers then erected a 16-6 lead in the third frame on their way to closing the 75-minute encounter. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/volleyball/2026/7/23/volleyball-letran-completes-final-four-cast-in-shakey-s-tilt-2043">READ: Volleyball: Letran completes Final Four cast in Shakey&#x27;s tilt </a></div>Sammy Pila and Cleo Anastasias had eight points each to lead Southern Storm, who will face Letran in the battle for bronze on Sunday.On the other hand, UST team captain Regina Jurado smashed 11 of her 12 points on attacks and added three digs to lead the Espana-based squad, which hammered the Lady Knights with 32 kills.“Hindi po ako nagpapadala sa pressure ng underline (team captain uniform mark). I can play my game freely with the team,” said Jurado, who alongside Angge Poyos sat out the Tigresses’ final elimination round game on Thursday.“Gusto namin magpatuloy ‘yung success ng UST dito,” she added as UST looks for a fitting follow-up to its high school team’s Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League Rising Stars Cup and Juniors National Invitationals conquests.Save for some resistance they encountered in the second set, the Golden Tigresses snatched the victory with relative ease to set up a title meeting with the same team they defeated in four sets in the elims.Marga Altea led UST’s block party as the Golden Tigresses scored 11 kill blocks to frustrate Letran.Altea had four kill blocks to go with nine kills to finish with 13 points while Poyos scored 10.Leonilyn Padilla answered for Letran before the Tigresses scored the match’s closing three points, capped by the Lady Knights’ last of 27 errors.    No Letran player reached double-figure scoring as main gunner Verenicce Colendra was limited to only seven points. Reeza Abayon added five for the Lady Knights.Meanwhile, Enderun Colleges swept Ho Chi Minh City Volleyball Club, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19, to finish fifth in the tournament.

Undefeated University of Santo Tomas and College of Saint Benilde set up a championship clash after sweeping their respective rivals in the knockout Final Four of the 2026 Shakey’s Collegiate National Invitationals on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Undefeated University of Santo Tomas and College of Saint Benilde set up a championship clash after sweeping their respective rivals in the knockout Final Four of the 2026 Shakey’s Collegiate National Invitationals on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.