Fans always wanted to be a part of something historical for the team they’re supporting. For me, I wanted to watch the super-rookie of Adamson University play her last game in her first year in the UAAP Volleyball.
Welcome to Part 2 of my Rebanse Diaries.
UP Community on Men’s Volleyball
Before I talk about how entertaining it is to watch Shaina Nitura, I first watched the University of the Philippines play against Adamson University in the final elimination game of the UAAP Men’s Volleyball tournament on April 27, 2025, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
And to be honest, the UP crowd really loves their Men’s team.
It was my first time hearing how the Iskolars ng Bayan scream at the top of their lungs whenever their university was able to defend a good spike and was able to block the attacks of the Soaring Falcons.
I was seated among the very supportive UP community, funny enough, the university I graduated from is actually located near the University of the Philippines. Though I never visited their campus to watch their basketball team or volleyball team practice or play some scrimmage games, I had no idea this is how they adore their student-athletes.
The game went to a classic Set 5; both schools aren’t bound to any Final Four appearances, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t play for pride and honor.
Olayemi Raheem, the foreign student athlete of the Fighting Maroons, was the one who caught my attention the most as his spikes were one of the loudest I’ve ever heard in my 2 games of watching UAAP Volleyball.
In the end, the Fighting Maroons did get the win, 15 to 12, to have their 4th win of the season with 10 losses. Meanwhile, the Falcons had the second-worst record after the end of elimination with 12 losses and only 2 wins.
Men Deserves Flowers Too
After the game, some of the fans from the UP Community gave all of the players from the Men’s team sunflowers as they finished their last game of the season. Some players of the Fighting Maroons are also graduating this academic year and have played their last game in front of their schoolmates.
I love how the fans decided to pick sunflowers rather than the usual red roses. It gives more positive vibes and an energetic aura for the students who have sacrificed a lot for their alma mater.
Rookie of the Year (and possibly the MVP?) against UP
There’s no doubt that Shaina Nitura will win the Rookie of the Year award this Season 87. But some (including myself, of course) might say she can also win the MVP.
This was flashed on the Jumbotron of Araneta during the team’s warmups.
With those accomplishments, this just serves as a testament to how great of a player Shaina is and how Adamson is fortunate to have her for the upcoming years.
Want to talk about aura like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? She got that on the image below (excuse the cameraman)
The first set belonged to Adamson; they made quick work of UP, dismantling them with a score of 25 to 13.
I thought moving forward, the Fighting Maroons would be able to come back into the game and make the match a lot more exciting to watch. Considering this is also the last elimination games for both schools and similar to their Men’s counterparts, none of neither will have a Final Four appearance.
Whenever UP gets close in scoring, AdU always finds a way to pull ahead. In the end, the Lady Falcons never looked back and finished the game in straight sets, 3–0. Aside from Nitura, it was Mayang Nuique who scored a lot of points in their final win of Season 87.
Thoughts for the Future
UP’s Team Captain, Nica Celiz, will play her last year next season, which means that having failed to make it to the Final Four in her second-to-last year representing the Fighting Maroons is undoubtedly a disappointment.
She also didn’t play a lot of minutes in this game.
I’m not sure who the graduating students of Adamson but their seniors did receive a great win in their last game wearing their school’s jersey.
At the end of Set 1, my phone died, and I wasn’t able to capture more photos and videos of this game. However, for me, one thing is certain: both of these schools showed a lot of promise in becoming title favorites come Season 88 arrives next year.
And until then, I am more than satisfied with watching 2 great UAAP volleyball games for the first time in my life. I’m really excited for what next season has to offer us fans.
