The UAAP women’s volleyball matches in the stepladder semifinals and the finals had been anti-climatic. All games ended in sweeps, including Game 1 in the finals. The National University is now a win away from winning its first women’s volleyball title since 1957.
UAAP Season 84
Women’s volleyball: NU showed no rust in the Game 1 victory. National University dominated De La Salle University in the first game of the women’s volleyball finals—25-20, 25-12, 25-21. Mhicaela Belen and Alyssa Solomon led the Lady Bulldogs with 15 points apiece. NU will try to complete a championship and tournament sweep and earn its first tile since 1957 on Tuesday.
📷: UAAP Photo
Women’s volleyball: La Salle advanced to the finals. On June 14th, fourth-seeded and defending champion Ateneo de Manila University dominated third-seeded University of Santo Tomas in a three-set sweep. Faith Nisperos led the Blue Eagles with 23 points on 17 attacks, 4 service aces, and 2 blocks and outplayed UST’s Eya Laure who scored 15. Two days after, De La Salle University ended Ateneo’s cinderella run with a three-set victory to punch its 11th finals appearance in 12 years. Rookie Alleiah Malaluan and Thea Gagate led the Lady Spikers with 16 and 13 respectively while Nisperos was the lone Blue Eagle in double-digits with 19 points.
UST ended a 10-year drought in men’s chess. The University of Santo Tomas clinched its 8th men’s chess championship after winning the tournament with 28 points. The University of the Philippines with 26 points and Far Eastern University with 25 points ended second and third respectively. FEU senior Jeth Romy Morado outplayed UP rookie Jan Daryl Batula in the tiebreaker match to bag the Most Valuable Player award.
NU won its first-ever women’s chess title. Rookie Allanney Doroy went undefeated in the tournament to lead National University to its first women’s chess title. She went undefeated in all of her six matches and took both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards. De La Salle University and Adamson University went second and third.
Philippine Basketball Association
Ginebra and San Miguel stayed undefeated. Barangay Ginebra took its second consecutive victory after weathering Rain or Shine’s comeback attempt, 90-85. Japeth Aguilar led the Kings with 23 points and 7 rebounds while Scottie Thompson added 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. San Miguel Beer won all three games this conference—and Magnolia Timplados is the current victim, 87-81. The Beermen survived Mark Barroca’s 25-point explosion. CJ Perez had June Mar Fajardo scored 15 and 14 respectively.
📷: PBA Official Website
TNT split the last two games. Roger Pogoy’s 28-point performance was not enough as TNT suffered a close 89-90 defeat against NLEX on June 16th. Calvin Oftana led the Road Warriors with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Two days after, Tropang Giga bounced back with a 78-71 victory over Meralco. Pogoy and Troy Rosario scored 19 and 16 respectively.
Phoenix recorded its first win. Phoenix Super LPG cruised to its first win this season, 97-74 against Terrafirma. Five Fuel Masters players scored in double-digits.
Miscellaneous
Caloy Yulo took the triple crown in Asian Championships. Caloy Yulo won three titles in the 9th Senior Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Doha, Qatar. He won gold medals in the Parallel Bars, Floor Exercise, and Vault. He also finished in second place in the individual all-around and booked the ticket to his third consecutive World Championships.
📷: European Pressphoto Agency / Luong Thai Linh
Alex Eala advanced to the W60 Madrid finals. Alex Eala dominated 16th-seeded Katherine Sebov of Canada in the W60 Madrid semifinals—6-2, 6-1. The 17-year-old Filipina will face 14th seed Marina Bassols Ribera of Spain in the VIII Open ITF Arcadis Brezo Osuna finals.
Double black eye for Gilas Men. Ange Kouame missed the friendlies against South Korea and is doubtful for both the third window of FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers and the FIBA Asia Cup 2022. The UAAP Season 84 MVP suffered a meniscal sprain and a partial ACL tear. Dave Ildefonso did not travel to South Korea, as he is nursing an ankle injury.
Gilas Men suffered two close defeats in friendly games in South Korea. On June 17th, South Korea erupted for 37 points in the third quarter to secure a 96-92 victory against the Philippine men’s basketball team. Reigning Korean Basketball League MVP Choi Jun-Yong starred in the win with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Kiefer Ravena and Dwight Ramos scored 22 and 16 for the Filipinos. A day after, the South Koreans escaped with a 106-102 win against Gilas Men. Ricardo Ratliffe had 27 points and 18 rebounds for South Korea. Ramos and Rhenz Abando made sure to put up a fight—Japan B.League player scored a game-high 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting with 8 rebounds, while the NCAA MVP added 19 points and made four treys.
Azkals fell short in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The Philippine men’s football team finished second in Group B of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers with 4 points on one win and one draw, which was not enough to repeat its historic qualification in the 2019 edition of the tournament. Palestine, who dominated the Azkals with a 4-0 win, topped the group.
PATAFA will be under new leadership. Philip Ella “Popoy” Juico has resigned from his post as Philippine Athletics and Field Association (PATAFA) president, although will stay as chairman emeritus. Terry Capistrano was appointed by PATAFA’s board to succeed Juico immediately. Under Juico for eight years, the Philippines won 26 golds, 26 silvers, and 41 bronzes while sending five athletes to the Olympics.