UE, La Salle-Zobel sweep way to UAAP junior volley crowns

University of the East and De La Salle-Santiago Zobel swept their way to the boys' and girls' crowns in the just concluded 73rd UAAP high school volleyball tournament at the UE Caloocan Gym. The Junior Warriors overcame University of Santo Tomas' (UST) gallant stand to repeat over the Tiger Cubs, 22-25, 29-27, 25-14, 25-21, and complete a 10-game sweep to formally clinch the title. Season Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Best Server Kim Gerald Relcopan led UE to its sixth straight championship, which is also the longest winning streak in the high school division. Other UE players that received individual awards were Edward Camposano (Rookie of the Year), Carl Michael Manuel (Best Blocker), Geuel Asia (Best Setter) and Darren de Dios (Best Receiver). The Best Attacker and the Best Libero awards went to UST's Mark Carlo Pangan and Manuel Sumanguid of National University, respectively. In the girls division, La Salle-Zobel foiled UE's bid for a double championship after the Junior Lady Archers scored a straight-sets 25-16, 25-13, 25-22 triumph against the Junior Lady Warriors. La Salle also won the title outright after clinching its sixth straight win. Six Junior Lady Archers went home with individual awards led by MVP Kianna Sy. Alessandra Isabel Francisco (Rookie of the Year), Anne Patyricia Coronel (Best Blocker), Jeannery Leigh Yap (Best Libero), Marie Nicole Vasquez (Best Server) and Alexine Danille Canaos (Best Setter) are the other awardees for La Salle. UE’s Eunique Chan, last year's ROY award winner, and Nina Christine Baltazar were named the Best Attacker and Best Receiver. NU (6-4) and University of the Philippines (2-4) finished third in both divisions. UST, the 2009 girls' division champion, lost all of its six games. – JVP, GMANews.TV