Heading into the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Detdet Pepito was vocal in saying that this is University of Santo Tomas’ best chance in recent years to claim the championship.

Ten games in, however, the Golden Tigresses are barely holding on in the Final Four race.

Hype and belief were high for UST entering the season, with an intact lineup, the return of healed players Jonna Perdido and Xyza Gula, and the addition of their high school team’s Best Middle Blocker duo, Avril Bron and Lianne Penuliar.

But the Golden Tigresses faced not just setbacks, but alarming losses, leaving them in a three-way tie for third to fifth places with the Adamson Lady Falcons and the FEU Lady Tamaraws during the Holy Week break, all standing at 6-4.

UST appeared poised to be the first team to challenge De La Salle University’s perfect record last March 25, building a commanding 20-12 lead in the third set with the match tied at one set apiece. Instead, the moment exposed the squad’s instability.

The Lady Spikers delivered a comeback for the ages, taking that set 25-23 before dominating the fourth to secure a 25-12, 18-25, 25-23, 25-14 victory and stay unbeaten.

(C) UAAP Season 88 Media Team

UST bounced back with a 25-17, 25-17, 18-25, 25-17 win over FEU on Sunday at their home court, the Quadricentennial Pavilion, forcing the three-way tie for third.

For captain Pepito, turning the season around will require the Golden Tigresses to find a deeper sense of purpose in their play.

“I think ‘yung puso. Kasi nakita natin na ‘yung puso ng La Salle nung time na yun, until now parang hindi pa rin kami makapaniwala na nahabol kami up 20-12,” said the fifth-year libero, reflecting on what her team still lacks.

“Kailangan pang mas mahalin ‘yung ginagawa, kailangan mas laliman pa ‘yung reason kung bakit kami naglalaro.”

While UST is clearly not a title favorite at the moment, with La Salle sitting atop the standings at a perfect 10-0, Pepito believes the season is far from over, with four more games left in the elimination round.

When things come together at the right time, and all that is lacking has been filled, the Golden Tigresses can still wreak havoc and show their fangs.

“Sinasabi ko sa kanila kung gaano kami kalakas as individuals and as a team. Doon lang po talaga kami lagi tumitingin kasi iniiwasan naming tingnan kung gaano kalakas yung kalaban kasi di ba doon kami minsan natatalo na namamangha kami kung anong kaya ng kalaban pero hindi namin alam kung hanggang saan din yung kaya naming gawin,” said Pepito, a two-time UAAP Best Libero in college.

“Sana mas madala pa po namin yung ganoong mindset na UST pa rin kami, hindi pa rin kami dapat basta-basta nagpapatalo.”

UST will still face University of the East, Adamson University, University of the Philippines, and National University.

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Nxled’s play-in win on Saturday carried more significance than just a step closer to the semifinals—it also closed a painful chapter that began a month ago against the same Galeries Tower squad.

It was that preliminary-round encounter that first unraveled the Chameleons’ campaign: a 19-25, 25-17, 20-25, 21-25 loss that sparked a four-game losing streak and ultimately proved costly in their bid to reach the qualifying round of the 2026 Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference.

Nxled still had a chance to salvage their qualifying hopes after stringing together two consecutive wins to close the preliminaries, but the damage had already been done. The permutations simply did not fall in their favor, leaving the Chameleons stuck in the play-in stage.

But Saturday’s match offered sweet revenge, as Nxled ousted the Highrisers, 25-23, 25-18, 25-23, in the play-in semifinal at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, moving them one step closer to the round-robin semifinals.

When asked what made the difference this time, head coach Ettore Guidetti cited two key factors but emphasized that having MJ Phillips—who missed their previous encounter due to a knee injury—was decisive, as her presence alone transformed the team’s dynamics on both ends of the court.

“Well, do you want me to be honest or polite?” said Guidetti.

“First of all, we didn’t play with MJ Phillips last time. She had a minor knee problem, so we couldn’t field her.”

(C) PVL Images

The two-time league Best Middle Blocker made an immediate impact, tallying a game-high 17 points on 13 attacks, three kill blocks, and one ace—contributions that Nxled sorely missed in their preliminary-round defeat.

“And today, she scored 17 points in just three sets. Honestly, when one of your two best players is unavailable, it changes the whole situation,” Guidetti said.

“With MJ, we have three rotations we can rely on for side-outs. I don’t want to say it’s automatic, but more or less, yes—it gives us balance.”

Aside from Phillips, the Italian tactician said another factor in the earlier loss was the absence of veteran playmaker Djanel Cheng, who had been providing crucial minutes as the steady backup to starting setter Jules Tolentino.

“Also, to be honest, we had a little misunderstanding about Cheng’s physical condition last time, so I couldn’t play her. She helps a lot in every single game,” Guidetti explained.

With the win over the Highrisers, Nxled is now just one victory away from the semifinals. Guidetti believes that as long as the team maintains the same discipline and intensity, they have a strong chance of advancing.

“So, today, we were complete. And that’s the key. I’m not so full of myself to say I did something special. This is a great team,” he said.

“When they play together, they play great.”

#WATCH: A LOT OF ALCHEMY — AND IT’S A STRANGE ONE

Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti talks about the up-and-down #PVL2026 of the Chameleons#ReadMore https://t.co/n30BG0uRjU

@jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/D3otnbsflk

— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 28, 2026

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Criss Cross stamped its authority on the 2026 Spikers’ Turf Open Conference, completing a dominant sweep of the elimination round with a straight-set victory over 3B, 25-23, 25-15, 25-16, at the Paco Arena on Friday.

The top-ranked King Crunchers imposed their will from the opening serve to the final point, turning what was expected to be a routine finish into a statement of complete dominance. With the win, Criss Cross marches into the semifinals unbeaten and unbothered with a perfect 10-0 record.

This marks the Rebisco-backed squad’s third consecutive elimination-round sweep, following a flawless 10-0 run in the 2025 Open Conference and a 7-0 campaign in the subsequent Invitational Conference, where they captured their first-ever title.

“Unang-una, nagpapasalamat ako sa management. Talagang walang sawa ‘yung suporta sa amin, nandun talaga. Credits din sa lahat ng teammates ko kasi tinrabaho din ng bawat isa ‘yung 10-0 ngayong eliminations,” said four-time MVP Jude Garcia. “Pero syempre back to zero ulit, kasi nga papunta na ng semis. Lahat ng games importante, so kailangan ‘yung 100 percent effort nandun talaga.”

Criss Cross dominated the attack line, 45-28, overwhelming 3B and controlling the tempo after a tight first set.

Alche Gupiteo led the way with 19 points, while Adrian Villados dished out 16 excellent sets. Garcia finished with six points, while Jaron Requinton, Kim Malabunga, and Lucca Mamone added five markers apiece in a one-hour, six-minute romp.

Meanwhile, Savouge and Alpha Insurance entered the next round with momentum.

(C) Spikers’ Turf

The Spin Doctors triumped over AEP-Cabstars, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21, while the Protectors snapped a two-game skid in emphatic fashion, defeating VNS Always Bright Laticrete in straight sets, 25-21, 25-12, 25-15.

Mark Calado, Shawie Caritativo, and JP Bugaoan led the attack in Louie Ramirez’s absence.

Calado scored 16 points, Caritativo flirted with a triple-double (15 points, 26 excellent receptions, nine digs), and Bugaoan contributed 14 points with five of the team’s 11 kill blocks.

JM Paglaon orchestrated the offense with 19 excellent sets.

(C) Spikers’ Turf

On the other hand, Cian Silang led with 22 excellent sets and three points, while Nathaniel Del Pilar delivered 13 points on a highly efficient 10-of-15 attacks.

Ranz Cajolo added 12 points with three kill blocks, and Jau Umandal contributed 11 markers off the bench.

AEP-Cabstars finished the eliminations fourth with a 5-5 record. Jay Rack De La Noche led with 23 points, while Nas Gwaza and Michael Doria added 11 and 10 markers, respectively.

EJ Casana set 27 excellent balls and added two kill blocks, while Vince Lorenzo anchored the defense with 25 excellent receptions and eight digs.

3B ended its elimination round in fifth place with a 2-8 record while VNS went winless.

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