Former champion National University and three-peat seeking University of the East solidified their hold on the 1-2 positions in the men’s standings after sweeping the weekend ties in the UAAP lawn tennis tournament at the Colegio de San Agustin courts in City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
The Bulldogs, coming back from a one-year hiatus, overpowered Adamson University, 5-0, on Saturday before returning the following day with a 3-2 squeaker over Ateneo to rise at 4-0.
Still solid as ever despite the departure of two-time MVP AJ Lim, the Red Warriors edged University of the Philippines, 3-2, and overpowered the Falcons, 5-0, to improve to 3-0.
Before drawing a bye last Sunday, University of Santo Tomas bested Ateneo, 3-2, to raise its record to 2-1 in third place.
The Fighting Maroons rebounded their loss to UE with a 4-1 conquest of De La Salle for an even 2-2 slate in fourth spot.
Women’s action saw last season’s runner-up Ateneo and De La Salle tied in first place with identical 2-1 cards.
The Lady Eagles bounced back from a 2-3 loss to De La Salle last Saturday with a 3-2 win over reigning titlist UST the following day.
After beating Ateneo, De La Salle completed a weekend sweep with a 3-2 decision over NU, which is also returning in the distaff side after a one-year absence.
The Tigresses are tied with UP, which they defeated via a 3-2 scoreline Saturday, in third spot at 1-1.
Meanwhile, Kat Tolentino’s firepower could not be quenched as it proved crucial in the Ateneo Lady Eagles’s back-to-back wins in the UAAP Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament this week.
The tournament’s leading scorer unloaded a combined output of 41 points from Ateneo’s games against University of Santo Tomas and Far Eastern University that merited her the Chooks-to-Go UAAP Press Corps Player of the Week honors.
Tolentino fired 22 points over UST to lead the Lady Eagles in bouncing back from their opening game loss to La Salle.
From tallying just 2 points in the first two sets against FEU, the opposite spiker erupted for 19 points as the Ateneo offense opened up to down the Lady Tamaraws.
“For me I realized that I can’t just stand there and tip the ball or hit it light. I have to go all out. I have to spike with power and how I normally do it,” said the Fil-Canadian spiker.
Tolentino and rest of the Ateneo spikers will be greatly tested against the University of the East’s floor defense led by Season 80 best digger and best receiver Kath Arado on March 3, 2 p.m., at the Araneta Coliseum.
Tolentino edged out nominees La Salle’s Michelle Cobb, Milena Alessandrini of UST, and National University rookie Ivy Lacsina for the weekly plum handed out by print and online scribes covering the beat.