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Dimaculangan, Guhit dedicate themselves to UE volleyball’s rebuild
Growth is never linear in sports. But sometimes, it takes a heavy toll when it feels like development has stalled — like you’re no longer moving forward.
University of the East’s collegiate volleyball programs have been facing that predicament since the UAAP’s post-pandemic era.
Both the men’s and women’s teams hit rock bottom in Season 87, losing all 14 games in their respective divisions.
On the women’s side, after Strong Group Athletics ended its support of the team, the school turned to Jumbo Dimaculangan, tapping him to return as head coach after previously holding the position in Seasons 84 and 85.
In those two seasons, UE finished with identical 1-13 records. With the team coming off a winless campaign in Season 87, Dimaculangan had to think twice before accepting what many would consider a thankless job.
“It’s really difficult. To be honest, it really took time for me to accept the role again. Hindi siya madali. I’ve been there, and I know na mahirap,” said Dimaculangan last Wednesday after UE’s 20-25, 14-25, 14-25 loss to FEU that dropped the Lady Warriors to 0-2 in the Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament.
“The reason why I accepted it is because may natira akong players from before, and at the same time, very grateful for the trust of UE na ibigay ulit sa akin yung role. That keeps me motivated as a coach, and I saw new players again na may potential na sana mailabas lang kung ano meron sila.”
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
Dimaculangan is leaning on seniors Angelica Reyes, Khy Cepada, and Van Bangayan to guide a squad composed of 10 rookies.
Even during Seasons 86 and 87, when the program was backed by SGA, UE struggled to climb out of the hole it had long been stuck in. The team compiled a combined 3-25 record over those two years.
On the men’s side, the situation has been strikingly similar.
Although Jerome Guhit has served as head tactician since Season 82, the Red Warriors’ best finish in recent years was a 5-9 record for sixth place in Season 85. The last two seasons offered little relief, as the team managed just one win in 28 games.
Dimaculangan has been assisting Guhit with the men’s team, while Guhit has also been helping out on the women’s side — a shared effort to lift UE from years of struggle.
Trying to pull the program from the depths of adversity, Dimaculangan admits the road is difficult. But as long as the passion remains, they will keep pushing forward.
(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team
“Kami naman kasi ay coaching is all about passion. The reason why we’re staying in UE is we’re very passionate sa craft namin, despite the setbacks,” he said.
“Right now, maraming challenges for men’s and women’s teams. We’re still working hard. Sa men’s team kanina, we were positive with the result na ito, yung tao na meron kami, at nailalabas namin yung potential na meron sila. Same with the women’s din, we have to be consistent lang sa magaganda na ginagawa namin, especially yung composure,” he added.
Though still winless on the men’s side, the Red Warriors have made their opponents work for every point. They pushed the UP Fighting Maroons to five sets last weekend before falling in a tightly-contested, straight-sets match against FEU, 20-25, 23-25, 23-25.
There are, at the very least, encouraging signs.
For both programs, the challenge now is turning potential and flashes of progress into actual victories. Dimaculangan and Guhit remain steadfast in that mission.
And the UE community can take solace in the fact that the coaching duo has no plans of walking away while the fire still burns.
“Sabi ko nga, if the time will come na medyo nabawasan na yung commitment and yung passion, I think that’s the only time that we’ll stop coaching. Not only with UE, but with the work itself,” said Dimaculangan.
“Every day, we’re giving our 100-percent, and siguro our players would know and alam naman nila how committed we are in pushing them and working really hard every single day.
“It’s still a work in progress, but we know that results will come.”
The post Dimaculangan, Guhit dedicate themselves to UE volleyball’s rebuild appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
Creamline is back in familiar territory—the Premier Volleyball League Finals.
The Cool Smashers outlasted the Farm Fresh Foxies, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 25-19, in a virtual battle for the last remaining Finals spot in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
This marks Creamline’s 15th Finals appearance and its first since the 2024–25 All-Filipino Conference, missing the championship stage in the next three tournaments.
“Siguro number one yung mga players talagang nag-step up, talagang gusto nilang manalo today kasi yung Farm Fresh hindi rin talaga basta-basta veteran team din pero siguro mas gusto ng players ng Creamline na manalo, makabalik sa finals, makalaban yung Cignal,” said Cool Smashers head coach Sherwin Meneses.
(C) PVL Images
Creamline will face Cignal in the best-of-three Finals beginning Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Game 2 is scheduled for next Thursday, while Game 3—if necessary—will be on April 28. All matches will be held at the Big Dome.
Cignal has won its past two meetings against Creamline in the semifinals and qualifying round, while the Cool Smashers took their preliminary round encounter.
Creamline was comfortably ahead, 19-14, in the third set, but second-stringer Mylene Paat sparked a Farm Fresh rally to tie it at 19.
The Cool Smashers, however, regained their composure and closed out the set, with Bernadeth Pons, Michele Gumabao, Jema Galanza, and Tots Carlos delivering key hits to take a 2-1 set advantage.
Creamline then delivered a strong finishing kick in the fourth, turning a tight 19-17 lead into a 25-19 clincher behind Pangs Panaga, Jema Galanza, and errors from the opposition, sealing the win in two hours and nine minutes.
“Unang-una, sobrang masaya. Kasi hindi rin talaga naging madali yung journey namin na makabalik sa finals ngayong conference. So, sobrang happy, pero yun, hindi pa tapos yung laban. Kailangan namin ulit na maghanda, magtrabaho pa para makuha namin yung goal this conference,” said Pons, who finished with 12 points, 17 receptions, and 17 digs.
Three-time MVP Tots Carlos led the balanced Creamline attack with 15 points and 14 digs, while Jema Galanza and Pangs Panaga added 13 points each.
Jia De Guzman orchestrated the offense with 26 excellent sets and added five points, while Jen Nierva anchored the floor defense with 23 excellent receptions on 29 attempts.
(C) PVL Images
On the other hand, Farm Fresh will battle PLDT for the bronze medal.
Trisha Tubu spearheaded the Foxies anew with 21 points, while Ces Molina delivered an all-around effort with 19 points on 16 attacks and three aces, along with 20 receptions and 15 digs.
Royse Tubino added 12 points and 14 digs, while Paat contributed 11 points off the bench.
The post Creamline returns to PVL Finals, sets up showdown vs Cignal appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
All the talk may have centered on Creamline’s return to the Finals of the Premier Volleyball League after missing out in the past three tournaments, but the Cool Smashers are far from satisfied with just that.
They are determined to reclaim their rightful place — the throne they have sat on 10 times before.
Creamline do-it-all superstar Bernadeth Pons emphasized the goal after their 25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 25-19 victory over Farm Fresh on Thursday in a virtual do-or-die match for the last Finals berth in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
“Unang-una, sobrang masaya. Kasi hindi rin talaga naging madali yung journey namin na makabalik sa Finals ngayong conference. So, sobrang happy, pero yun, hindi pa tapos yung laban,” said Pons.
“Kailangan namin ulit na maghanda, magtrabaho pa para makuha namin yung goal this conference,” she continued.
The Cool Smashers had to go through the wringer just to set up a best-of-three Finals showdown against Cignal, which begins Tuesday at 6:30 PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Creamline previously fell to Cignal in the qualifying round, 21-25, 26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 15-17 — a loss that sent them to the play-in stage with their backs against the wall.
(C) PVL Images
From there, the Cool Smashers survived the Akari Chargers, 25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-16, to advance to the semifinals.
After a five-set win over PLDT and a four-set loss to Cignal in the round-robin semifinals, Creamline once again found itself in a do-or-die situation — this time against Farm Fresh.
“Siyempre, masaya kasi yung experience kada laro ng do-or-die games, di naman lahat napupunta sa lahat ng team, so talagang in-e-embrace lang namin yung pressure. Blessed din kami kasi nakuha namin,” said head coach Sherwin Meneses.
“Pero sabi nga ni Pons, yung goal talaga is mag-champion. So ito na, tatrabahuin namin nang mabuti para maibigay namin yung-100 percent namin sa finals, so masaya kami kasi lahat ng do-or-die sa amin ay naipanalo namin as of now.”
A four-time champion with Creamline, Pons — who endured the team’s absence from the Finals over the last three conferences — simply wants to savor this return to the grand stage.
Game 2 of the Finals is set for next Thursday, while Game 3, if necessary, will be played on April 28. Both games will also take place at the Big Dome.
“Sobrang special ng conference ngayon. Kasi elimination pa lang, talagang pahirapan talaga. Every team na kalaban namin, nahirapan talaga kami. So, hindi madali yung conference ngayon,” said Pons.
“Gusto din talaga naming magbunga lahat ng paghihirap namin simula noong January na nag-start kami ng training. And ngayon, makabalik kami sa finals, yun yung trabahuhin pa namin ulit para makuha namin yung goal namin.”
The post Bernadeth Pons eyes title to cap Creamline’s ‘special’ PVL conference appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
PLDT secured a morale-boosting 25-17, 25-22, 25-23 triumph over Finals-bound Cignal to enter the battle for bronze on a winning note in the 2026 PVL All-Filipino Conference on Thursday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.
The High Speed Hitters will take on the Farm Fresh Foxies in the best-of-three bronze medal series beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It was Farm Fresh that knocked PLDT out of Finals contention last Tuesday with a 25-23, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23 victory.
Meanwhile, Cignal will face Creamline in the best-of-three Finals series.
(C) PVL Images
“Sadyang unfortunate na hindi namin nakuha yung goal namin, pero kailangan mag-move on agad. ‘Yung pagiging hard sa sarili namin di maiiwasan, pero ‘yung trabaho, kailangan mag-show up pa rin. Ito ‘yung part na ’yon. Gusto pa rin namin kunin ‘yung bronze,” said High Speed Hitters head coach Rald Ricafort.
With PLDT just two points away from victory, 23-19, Cignal’s second-stringers mounted a late run.
Jessa Ordiales scored two points, while the High Speed Hitters committed two errors, allowing Cignal to tie the set at 23-all.
Alleiah Malaluan and Mika Reyes, however, closed out the match in 77 minutes with a down-the-line kill and a solid block, respectively.
Savi Davison produced a game-high 21 points built on 17 attacks, two blocks, and two aces, along with 11 receptions, while Malaluan delivered a well-rounded performance with 11 points and 14 receptions.
Kim Fajardo dished out 23 excellent sets, added 10 digs, and scored two points, while Reyes, Majoy Baron, and Kianna Dy contributed seven points each.
Kath Arado also impressed with 12 receptions and 13 digs.
(C) PVL Images
Cignal, for its part, barely used its usual starters, with Ordiales leading the way with 13 points and eight digs.
Erin Pangilinan added eight points, while Ishie Lalongisip chipped in seven.
The post PLDT rides momentum past Cignal into PVL battle for bronze appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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