UST makes history with clean sweep in UAAP S88 beach volleyball

The University of Santo Tomas (UST) claimed all four titles, men’s, women’s, boys’, and girls’ divisions, at the UAAP Season 88 beach volleyball tournament, marking the first time in league history a school has completed a full sweep in a single season.

Tiger Sands curb rough start, extend dominance

UST’s men’s team, Alche Gupiteo and Dom Gabito, shook off a sluggish start against Alex Iraya and Sky Gemarino of the National University Bulldogs to secure their seventh-straight UAAP Season 88 men’s beach volleyball title with a 24–22, 21–17 victory on Nov. 30, 2025, at Sands SM By The Bay.

The win marked coach Paul Dolorias’ 20th championship as UST’s team head, guiding the men to a perfect 7–0 record while dropping only one set throughout the season.

“Even though na champion kami, pero mas mataas yung intensity ng training namin ngayon eh kasi champion nga so expect talaga na hahabulin kami. Mas mahirap yung ginawa naming training,” Dolores stated in an interview with Starting Lineup.

The coach credited the team’s success to a pre-season training camp in Japan, noting that maintaining momentum was critical despite their defending champion status.

Lady Tiger Sands reclaims crown

After a six-year streak was snapped by NU last season, Sofiah Vergara and Khy Progella reclaimed the women’s title with a 21–8, 22–20 win over Honey Grace Cordero and Kizil Quijote of NU in the finals at the same venue.

This marked UST’s 10th overall women’s beach volleyball championship in the UAAP, finishing the season with a flawless 9-0 record and no sets dropped. 

Vergara said last year’s defeat fueled the team’s drive to reassert dominance.

“That loss motivated us because it really hurt to see our six-peat streak end,” Vergara said. “The seniors had such a strong legacy, and we felt like we had to restore it ourselves.”

Junior Lady Tigers show poise under pressure

Cheng Dadang and Angelica Del Mar shook off an early final set deficit and stayed composed to snatch a 24–22, 12–21, 15–13 victory over Adamson University’s Maegan Pineda and Ella Gonzalvo on Feb. 22, 2026 at Sands SM By The Bay.

The Dadang-Del Mar pair trailed 1–6 in the decider but surged to take the match to an 11–11 tie, then UST’s aces delivered calm serves in the closing rallies to pull ahead and seize their second title in the tournament since high school level beach volleyball was instated in season 86.

Serving as the reserve player two years ago when the program began to now being crowned as the season 88 MVP, Dadang stated that the experience watching the struggles was a valuable experience to develop her skillset.

“Nahirapan kami last year at mas naging composed at tumatag ‘yung partnership namin,” the 17-year old from Cagayan de Oro told the Tiebreaker Times.

Junior Tiger Sands close season with win

JP Apidian and Karl Escobar wrapped up the high school men’s title with a 22–20, 21–18 victory over NU’s Kian Tan and Ethan Jadraque at the same venue.

UST finished the junior men’s tournament with a 6–1 record, advancing comfortably from the elimination round to the finals. Escobar, also a former reserve player, said he was motivated to prove his worth on the roster.

“I just did my best to show I deserved the spot. I focused on everything I worked on since being chosen,” Escobar told Tiebreaker Times.

Legacy of excellence

UST’s Season 88 sweep underlines the program’s strength, combining elite coaching, dedicated athletes, and a culture of excellence that continues to build the school’s legacy in beach volleyball.

With reports from Inquirer.net, Tiebreaker Times, Varsitarian, ABS-CBN, and One Sports