UE Upsets Ateneo in Season Finale

University of the East closed out its season with an impressive victory, outlasting Final Four-bound Ateneo de Manila University in four sets, 25-16, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22, in the UAAP Season 88 Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Tournament on Saturday at the UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Following a dominant sweep of the De La Salle University Green Spikers earlier in the week, the Red Warriors—led by Roy Piojo, Raquim Aceron, and Xjhann Camaymayan—carried that momentum into their final match of the season, stunning the Blue Eagles.

The win gave UE back-to-back victories to finish the season, breaking a three-way tie for sixth place with Adamson University and the University of the Philippines. The Red Warriors concluded Season 88 with a 4-10 record, marking their best performance since finishing with a 5-9 slate in Season 85 (2023). This was a bounce-back year after a one-win season in Season 86 and a winless campaign in Season 87.

“Just like last game, I told the players to stay focused and give everything they’ve got. Since this is our last game, I asked them to end the season on a high note and make it memorable,” said UE assistant coach Jumbo Dimaculangan.

The Red Warriors also look poised for the future, with an intact roster set to return next season.

With the fourth set tied at 9-all, UE broke the game open with a key 6-2 run, highlighted by two blocks and a quick attack from Camaymayan, giving them a 15-11 lead that Ateneo could not recover from.

UE held firm as Aceron’s down-the-line hit and an Amil Pacinio service error pushed them to match point at 24-19. Despite a late surge from Ateneo, with Jian Salarzon and Enzo Gutierrez saving three match points to narrow the gap to 24-22, UE sealed the win when Aceron finished off a crosscourt spike, clinching the victory after one hour and 41 minutes.

"As a super senior, I always focused on helping our captain, Isaiah Roca. I also told my teammates that whenever they feel down, they should turn to me or their trusted teammates for support and regain confidence,” said Camaymayan, who finished with 14 points, including seven blocks, six attacks, and one ace.

Piojo led the charge for UE with 23 points, including 21 attacks and two aces, plus five excellent digs. Aceron also contributed 23 points, with 18 attacks, three aces, and two blocks, along with 18 excellent receptions and six digs. Roca added nine points and five excellent receptions, while Jio Rada facilitated the offense with 21 excellent sets. Rookie libero Cjay Nabora anchored the defense with 15 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions.

For Ateneo, the loss snapped a two-game win streak and dropped them to a 7-6 record, keeping them in fourth place ahead of their Final Four preview against Far Eastern University on Wednesday, April 22, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

Salarzon led the Blue Eagles with 20 points, including 18 attacks and two blocks, alongside 19 excellent receptions and four excellent digs. Pacinio added 14 points, while Nigerian spiker Aimar Okeke and Rodge Alejos contributed five points each. Miguel Yu and Preece Atendido each added four points. Reigning MVP Ken Batas played limited minutes, appearing only in the first set and finishing with two points.