THE UST Golden Tigresses bagged the 2026 Shakey’s Super League Collegiate National Invitationals crown with a 22-25, 25-8, 25-12, 25-22 victory over the Benilde Lady Blazers in the championship match on Sunday, July 26, at the Playtime Filoil Centre.
Angge Poyos’ all-around performance fueled the championship charge, notching 20 points off of 16 attacks, two aces and two blocks, eventually given tournament MVP honors for her efforts.
Newly appointed captain Reg Jurado contributed 21 points built on 18 attacks, two aces and a block, a promising start to her captaincy that guns for an improvement of the Tigresses’ podium finish in UAAP Season 88.
“[Season 89] is something to look forward to, but we’re still a work in progress,” Jurado told The Flame.
“Hopefully our chemistry and skills peak in the UAAP,” she added.
After an early 11-8 UST lead in the opening set, Benilde fired back with a 12-3 run to widen the gap at 20-14 through a series of errors from the España-based squad.
The Tigresses eventually surged with their own 8-3 blitz to close the gap to a point, 23-22, before a Cam Bartolome block concluded the set, 25-22.
Incensed by this first set loss, the Tigresses unleashed a dominant second and third set, only allowing 20 total points from the Taft crew, with Jurado and Poyos combining for 20 points throughout the successive sets.
A key substitution for Em Banagua late in the first set and foreign-student athlete Blessing Anekwe’s towering frame reinforced the Tigresses defense.
The final frame saw a more competitive matchup between the two contenders, with a Lady Blazers attack revolving around Bartolome, Mary Grace Borromeo and Kai Lleses closing the gap to 15-14.
Despite the closer contest, Poyos, Jurado and Unekwe scored seven of UST’s 10 remaining points, culminating in a Benilde attacking error, sealing the Tigresses first SSL title at 25-22.
Bartolome paced the Lady Blazers with 16 points from 12 attacks and four blocks, with Borromeo chipping in 12 points, all on attacks, for their runner-up finish.
Including today’s championship game, UST only dropped two sets the entire tournament, both at the hands of Benilde. F
