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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.
Two weeks after inaugurating its basketball courts, Mighty Sports Center will officially open its volleyball courts at AcroCity in Guiguinto, Bulacan, on Saturday, October 10, in what promises to be another festive affair.
Rising star Jolina Dela Cruz and veterans Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachell Anne Daquiz, along with the rest of the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles, will join the celebration dubbed “SET.SPIKE.PLAY.”
AcroCity and Czark Mak chairman Caesar Wongchuking, a longtime sports patron, said that aside from the exhibition match between ZUS Coffee and the Makata Selection of Bulacan at 4 p.m., the event will also feature a meet-and-greet session where fans can interact with their PVL idols.
“Just like the inauguration of the basketball courts, fans can interact with these professional volleyball players,” said Wongchuking. “It’s our own little way to giving back to communities.”
Wongchuking added that proceeds from the event will go to Tahanang Mapagpala of Immaculada Concepcion Foundation, Inc. He also thanked ZUS Coffee owner Frank Lao for allowing his players to take part in the celebration.
Also expected to grace the event are Bulacan Vice Governor Alex Castro and Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad.
The volleyball courts are part of the Mighty Sports Center at AcroCity, a development envisioned as a “Live, Work, Play” destination in Guiguinto.
Aside from its basketball and volleyball courts and modern fitness center, AcroCity is also home to Acro Residences Hotel, restaurants such as Cafe de Margaux and Mt. Fuji, and event venues including Ang Hardin and NDW Plaza, which is named after the Wongchuking family matriarch, Nelia D. Wongchuking.
The post ZUS Coffee to grace Mighty Sports Center volleyball court launch appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria will begin their qualifying campaign for the U17 AFCON against Cote d’Ivoire next week Wednesday.
The match schedule is out!
Ouagadougou will host the WAFU B U-17 AFCON Qualifying Tournament Burkina Faso 2026 from 10 to 23 October 2026.
West Africa’s best U-17 teams will battle for qualification to the U-17 AFCON.
Check out the official match schedule!
#WAFUB #U17AFCON #BurkinaFaso2026 #RoadToAFCON #YouthFootball #AfricanFootball
#UFOAB #WAFUB #U17AFCON #BurkinaFaso2026 #RoadToAFCON #YouthFootball
— CAF ZONE OUEST B (@CafZoneOuestB) October 7, 2026
Their other Group B match will be against Niger three days later.
The WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifying tournament will kick off Saturday, when hosts Burkina Faso take on Benin and Ghana square up against Togo.
Burkina Faso head Group A, whose overall winners will face runners-up in Group B for a place in the championship game.
The post Golden Eaglets begin U17 AFCON qualifiers vs Cote d’Ivoire first appeared on Score Nigeria.
Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera hurdled their first test as a doubles pair, defeating Hong Kong’s Kallista Liu and Lai Ching Laam, 6-1, 6-3, in the opening round of the women’s doubles tournament at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on Tuesday.
With the outdoor courts washed out by continuous rain, Eala and Rivera had their original schedule pushed back to the evening. The long delay, however, did little to disrupt their rhythm as they quickly took control of the match.
Eala, ranked No. 127 in the world in doubles, and Rivera, a standout at NCAA Division II school University of West Alabama, needed little time to jell as a pair.
(C) POC Media
After their opponents held serve in the opening game, the Filipinas rattled off six straight games to take the first set in just 33 minutes.
The second set lasted a bit longer, but Eala and Rivera remained in control for most of the way to seal the victory at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
The road ahead, however, will be considerably tougher in the second round. Eala and Rivera will face doubles specialists and third seeds Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan of China.
The 27-year-old Jiang is ranked No. 22 in the world in doubles and recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals. Then Yang, 31, has a career-high doubles ranking of No. 9 and has also reached the semifinals of the French Open.
Both Filipinas are also into the next round in their other competitions — Rivera with partner Francis Alcantara in mixed doubles, and Eala in the women’s singles.
The post Alex Eala, Shaira Rivera roll into Asian Games doubles second round appeared first on Tiebreaker Times.
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