UST, Benilde set up SCNI finals showdown

UAAP University of Santo Tomas and College of Saint Benilde advanced to the championship round of the 2026 Shakey's Collegiate National Invitationals after posting straight-set semifinal victories on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The unbeaten Golden Tigresses dismantled Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 25-10, 25-19, 25-12, to improve to 6-0 and reach the tournament finals for the first time.

Benilde followed with a 25-19, 25-23, 25-11 victory over Australian guest team Southern Storm Melbourne, earning another crack at the title after finishing runner-up in last year's Luzon leg.

The Golden Tigresses and Lady Blazers will meet in the winner-take-all championship match on Sunday at the Playtime FilOil Arena in San Juan.

Camila Bartolome led Benilde with 14 points on 12 attacks, one ace, and one block as the Lady Blazers defeated Southern Storm for the second time in the tournament after also winning their elimination-round meeting in four sets.

"I think 'yung nakatulong sa amin kanina is yung composure. Kasi kahit galit na si coach, hindi pa rin kami nagpapadala. Mas eager kaming manalo ngayon," Bartolome said.

Fionna Inocentes added 11 points, while Mhonniecka Soliven and Mary Grace Borromeo contributed eight and seven points, respectively.

Trailing 20-15 in the second set, Benilde responded with a decisive 10-3 run. Soliven capped the comeback with an off-speed hit to give the Lady Blazers a two-set lead before they dominated the third set, opening a 16-6 advantage and closing out the match in 75 minutes.

Sammy Pila and Cleo Anastasias scored eight points each for Southern Storm, which will face Letran in the bronze medal match.

Earlier, UST relied on balanced scoring and a strong defensive effort to sweep the Lady Knights.

Team captain Regina Jurado finished with 12 points and three digs to lead the Golden Tigresses.

"Hindi po ako nagpapadala sa pressure ng underline (team captain uniform mark). I can play my game freely with the team," Jurado said.

"Gusto namin magpatuloy 'yung success ng UST dito," she added, referring to the school's recent titles in the Shakey's Girls Volleyball Invitational League Rising Stars Cup and Juniors National Invitationals.

Marga Altea added 13 points, including four blocks, as UST finished with 11 kill blocks. Angge Poyos contributed 10 points after returning to the lineup.

The Golden Tigresses controlled the match throughout, while Letran committed 27 errors. Verenicce Colendra led the Lady Knights with seven points, while Reeza Abayon added five.

The championship match will be a rematch of the elimination round, where UST defeated Benilde in four sets.

In the classification game, Enderun Colleges swept Ho Chi Minh City Volleyball Club, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19, to finish fifth in the tournament.