The University of the Philippines (UP) Women’s Volleyball Team (WVT) ushered in a new chapter in the 2026 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Unity Cup, finishing the elimination round with a perfect record.
State U finished atop Pool D with 12 points off three wins, besting the Lyceum of the Philippines (LPU) Lady Pirates, and fellow UAAP contingents Adamson University Lady Falcons and University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors.
Switch-UPs, step-UPs
Following a heartbreaking finish to its injury-laden UAAP Season 88 campaign, the UP WVT faces the challenge of rebuilding the team’s foundation for future aspirations.
The Fighting Maroons continued their streak of coaching changes for the sixth straight year, bringing back to the helm Benson Bocboc, who previously led State U’s breakthrough in Season 87 before being replaced by Italian coach Fabio Menta in Season 88.
But unlike his promising fifth-place finish with the Maroon volleybelles in Season 87, the tactician will now rally the team without the presence of veterans Irah Jaboneta, Niña Ytang and Joan Monares, who all pursued careers in the professional league when Season 88 ended.
Moreover, blue-chip recruit Casiey Dongallo, who was expected to bolster the team’s offense, remains sidelined as she continues to recover from ACL and meniscus injuries incurred during the same season.
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Nonetheless, the returning tactician chose to focus on the capabilities of the current players.
“Well, tapos na ‘yon eh. [The] others need to step up talaga. Wala silang choice kung ‘di mag-step up for UP,” the tactician said in an interview with Tinig ng Plaridel.
Departures and injuries within the cadre provided an opportunity for second-stringers and newcomers alike to share the spotlight. Julia Andres, Beverly Tanduyan, Krys Juan and Lavhinia Sasondoncillo saw extended minutes on the court with the UP Fighting Maroons.
Junior Sam Ildefonso also saw more action as the team’s playmaker, while middle blocker Gaby Perez made her debut in the lineup after two years in the training pool.
For Bocboc, the past games exposed the growing pains that the young team must address as it adapts to roster changes.
“We want more games para ma-encounter natin ‘yong mga gano’ng situation, para alam natin kung ano ‘yong pwede nating solution for the next [games],” he said.
Giesha Capistrano, who anchored the team’s floor defense in previous seasons, was converted to a spiker and suited up as an outside hitter in all three of UP’s Round 1 matches.
The maroon senior’s positional shift was an adjustment to both junior spiker Yesha Noceja’s absence due to a sprain and the team’s abundance of liberos.
Capistrano stepped up to the sudden role change, but returning to the attacking position was nothing new to her, as she previously played as a hitter before transitioning to libero in college.
“Actually, ‘di ko rin ine-expect na magiging spiker pa ako [ngayong] college na ‘ko,” Capistrano told TNP. “Kahit saan naman ready lang ako. Since as a senior, ang gusto ko lang din ay makatulong sa team hangga’t kaya ko.”
She also remains determined to support her younger teammates moving forward.
“Noong rookie year ko, lagi akong may kasamang [mas] matanda. [T]his time, ako na ‘yong kailangan ng mga bata na mag-support sa kanila,” Capistrano said.
Grind continues
UP WVT opened this year’s SSL Unity Cup campaign with a straight-set victory over the UE Lady Warriors, 25-19, 27-25, 25-17, on Oct. 9 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
State U maintained its dominance over the Recto-based squad, overcoming UE’s five-point advantage, 8-13, in the second set to secure the frame in UP’s favor.
Jelai Gajero topscored the Maroon volleybelles against the Lady Warriors with 13 points off 12 attacks and a block.
Picking up where they left off, the Fighting Maroons then swept the recently crowned V-League champions, the Adamson Lady Falcons, 25-23, 25-19, 25-20, the following day at the same venue.
With the win, the maroon shirts snapped their losing streak against the San Marcelino-based squad in the previous UAAP season and the 2025 SSL Unity Cup.
As UAAP Season 88 MVP Shaina Nitura sat out the final set, Adamson attempted to claw back at UP in another tug-of-war battle. The Fighting Maroons capitalized on the Lady Falcons’ piling errors to pull away and secure the sweep.
UP WVT edged out the San Marcelino-based squad in attacks, tallying 42 points in the aggregate boosted by 28 opponent errors, compared to Adamson’s 29 markers built from attacks.
In her second game as a hitter, Capistrano led the Diliman-based squad’s collective effort with seven points, all from attacks.
After opening the eliminations with back-to-back sweeps, State U stumbled against the LPU Lady Pirates, dropping its lone set in the round.
Despite seeing their clean slate tarnished, the Maroon volleybelles recovered to clinch a 3-1 victory, 19-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19, on Oct. 17 at the same venue.
Maroon setter Kizzie Madriaga orchestrated UP’s offense against LPU with 15 excellent sets.
She highlighted the importance of maintaining focus, especially when the odds are stacked against them.
“‘Pag ni-limit namin ‘yong sarili namin, or pinressure namin ‘yong sarili namin, wala, bababa lang ‘yong laro namin,” Madriaga said in the post-game interview.
Although the UP WVT emerged unscathed in the elimination round, head coach Bocboc emphasized that the team still had areas to improve on, particularly in attacking.
“Nananalo kami, pero ‘yong attack efficiency namin medyo mababa. [N]eed ‘yon [i-]address if we want to finish [at] the top,” the shotcaller said.
Eyeing its first semis appearance in the SSL, the UP WVT will face the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Lady Knights to open its quarterfinals campaign at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Imus Sports Complex.
SET SCORES:
vs UE: 25-19, 27-25, 25-17
vs AdU: 25-23, 25-19, 25-20
vs LPU: 19-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19
