MANILA – Adamson University Lady Falcons overcame the early loss of their starting setter to capture a second consecutive V-League Collegiate Challenge championship, defeating University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses, 25-23, 23-25, 26-24, 25-15, in Game 2 of the best-of-three finals at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Frances Mordi and returning captain Shaina Nitura delivered 21 points apiece as the Lady Falcons displayed resilience and offensive firepower despite losing starting setter Fhei Sagaysay to a right ankle injury in the opening set.
The victory completed Adamson’s successful title defense, with Mordi emerging as the tournament’s biggest individual winner after securing both the Conference Most Valuable Player and Finals MVP awards.
Mordi finished with 18 attacks, two blocks and a service ace, while Nitura marked her return to the lineup with 20 attack points and an ace.
After splitting the opening two sets, Adamson survived a tight third frame, 26-24, before overwhelming UST in the fourth to complete its championship sweep.
Mordi sparked the Lady Falcons’ decisive fourth-set surge with a service ace that established an 11-8 advantage before Lhouriz Tuddao delivered consecutive points to stretch the lead to 13-9.
Nitura then took over, scoring three straight points on two kills and a service ace to give Adamson a commanding 18-11 cushion.
The Lady Falcons never relinquished control, eventually closing out the match with a convincing 25-15 fourth-set victory.
Adamson head coach JP Yude credited his players’ composure and determination in overcoming the unexpected loss of Sagaysay, whose injury threatened to disrupt the team’s championship bid.
“I really appreciate mga bata on how they responded in bad situations all the time. Ganoon talaga iyan ang gusto naming ma-accomplish every time. Nawala yung first setter namin so medyo nag-off pero I really thank the Lord on how he puts our hearts on how we respond properly during that situation,” Yude said.
“I’m grateful and blessed because on how the Lord is working on our lives. A little bit working, bumubunga. So I really always push the players, I always remind them,” he added.
With Sagaysay sidelined, Bella Sapienza stepped into the crucial setting role and delivered 19 excellent sets, helping Adamson maintain its offensive rhythm and finish with 62 attack points.
Mordi said the championship underscored the Lady Falcons’ collective strength and their ability to overcome adversity without relying solely on individual players.
“That was what we’re working on, everyone playing for themselves without depending on anyone. I’m glad that we were able to play as a team without one of our strongest players. We were able to trust ourselves and the coaches,” Mordi said.
“We can play without her, but with her, we are stronger. It’s a win-win for everyone,” she added.
Tuddao contributed 10 points, while Janna Dizon chipped in seven to reinforce Adamson’s balanced offensive attack.
For UST, Blessings Unekwe led the resistance with 12 points built on seven attacks and five blocks.
Kim Rubin and Reg Jurado added 11 points each, but the Golden Tigresses struggled to generate sufficient offensive support from Angge Poyos, who was limited to five points.
Aside from leading Adamson to the championship, Mordi shared the Best Outside Spiker award with Poyos.
Mordi dominated the preliminary-round scoring race with 157 points, including 129 attacks on a 41.35 percent success rate, 14 blocks and 14 service aces.
She also ranked among the tournament’s top 10 receivers with a 33.01 percent reception efficiency rate.
Poyos, meanwhile, accumulated 84 preliminary-round points on 72 attacks with a 37.50 percent success rate, three blocks and nine aces.
Adamson further stamped its dominance on the tournament’s individual awards, with Sagaysay earning Best Setter honors after recording 145 excellent sets, averaging 4.83 per set.
Tuddao claimed the Best Opposite Hitter award with 76 points, while middle blockers Dote and Dizon shared the Best Middle Blocker citations.
Dote registered 40 points, including 21 blocks, while Dizon accumulated 49 points from 25 attacks and 20 blocks.
University of the East captain Angge Reyes, meanwhile, secured the Best Libero award after averaging 4.47 digs per set and registering a 51.72 percent reception efficiency rate.
For Adamson, the championship was more than a successful title defense. It demonstrated the Lady Falcons’ depth and ability to deliver under pressure, even when an unexpected injury threatened to derail their bid for another crown./PN
