5 things to look forward to at the UAAP Women’s Volleyball Season 81

This UAAP Women’s Volleyball Season 81 will be no different as the spirit and love for Philippine volleyball continue to grow

Photo by Tristan Tamayo

Over the past years, the UAAP Women’s Volleyball tournament has become one of the most anticipated athletic events in the country. This Season 81 is no exception—from the De La Salle University (DLSU) Spikers’ four-peat bid to the rise of various teams in the league, here are five things to look forward to this season:

Early DLSU versus ADMU clash

It’s a given that DLSU and the Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) Blue Eagles will always be a rivalry worth watching, regardless of the sport. In UAAP volleyball, both teams have clashed six times in the past decade—four of which has seen the Lady Spikers taking the prize. Both teams have also honed players like Alyssa Valdez and Mika Reyes—two of the greatest volleyball players the country has ever seen.The rivalry only gets more competitive as both teams will face each other to open this season’s tournament.

Awards format change

The UAAP Board has made changes to the format of individual awards and will now follow the Federation International Volleyball rules. No longer will players be awarded based on skill (best scorer, best blocker, best digger etc.) but instead on their position (first and second outside hitters, first and second middle blockers and etc). The format change would determine who the best of the best are when it comes to their roles, thus further raising the stakes of the competition. It’ll be exciting to watch if Ateneo’s Dani Ravena can nab the best libero award or if anyone can stop Desiree Cheng end her volleyball career with an individual award.

UP on the rise

We’ve seen the University of the Philippines men’s basketball team pull off a miracle in this season’s basketball tournament, and if there’s one thing we learned is that it’s to not count them out so easily. Led by team captain Isa Molde and co-captain Tots Carlos, the Diliman squad have proved that they are serious contenders after winning the 2018 Philippine Volleyball League (PVL) Collegiate Conference and the Philippine Super Liga (PSL) Collegiate Grand Slam titles. The team filled with hungry veterans has also added more backcourt power with rookies Rem Altomea and Mirgie Bautista in the mix. The Lady Maroons have proven they are a serious threat but will they be able to show this in the upcoming season?

The rivalries

Besides ADMU and DLSU, rivalries such as the Lady Spikers versus the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Golden Tigresses and the Far Eastern University (FEU) Lady Tamaraws have been intriguing to watch as well. Before the Lady Spikers ruled the past decade of UAAP volleyball, the Lady Tamaraws and Golden Tigresses have marked their territory in the championship standings and are keen on regaining that. Meanwhile, the ADMU-UP rivalry is as interesting especially after the rise of the rivalry this season.

The volleyball spirit

Over the past years, the country has grown fond of volleyball, thanks to the thrilling competitions the UAAP has provided. We’ve seen the Ateneo-La Salle championship battles in the last six years, superstars like Valdez, Kianna Dy, and Abby Mariano who have all become icons in their own right. UAAP women’s volleyball has brought thousands of Filipinos together to cheer on the women who have all proven that they can conquer sports. This season will be no different as the spirit, cheers, and love for the game continue to grow

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