De La Salle Ultimate takes down UP Diliman, bags first NUCC title

Sweeping their first round match-ups heading into the finals, De La Salle Ultimate (DLSU) managed to claim their first National Ultimate Collegiate Championship (NUCC) crown last June 11 to 12 at the Alabang Country Club. They fought a tightly contested finals game against UP Diliman Ultimate and prevailed in the end, 15-13.

“Since the first ever collegiate tournaments that were national, we were trying to get it [the championship] but we always fell short,” JP De Vera, president of the organization, said. “This first title gives us more confidence moving forward. We have a very young core and most of our players will be staying here for the next season and we’re just very excited to play.”

DLSU began the tournament with a statement win against San Beda College, 11-1, showcasing their impeccable teamwork during the match. They managed to carry over their momentum in their next few games, defeating Cavite State University (CvSU), UST, and ADMU. Martha Mina created problems for their opponents, scoring seven goals in the first round. Mat Crespo calculatingly orchestrated the offense with ten well-placed assists, while Neal Peralta and Paolo Reyes pressured their opponents’ offense, contributing seven blocks each. These individual performances were only a pinch of the impressive teamwork that DLSU showed on their way to recording an early 4-0 win-loss record.

On the second day of the tournament, the team continued to dominate. They faced CvSU again in the quarterfinals, achieving the same result. Peralta continued to irritate his opponents’ offense, leading his team to a resounding 11-4 win. However, their semifinal match-up against UPLB was a different story. DLSU had a slow start on both ends, with their offensive struggles arising due to UPLB’s suffocating defense. La Salle, however, managed to create a gap between themselves and UPLB, defeating them, 8-6, with the offensive and defensive orchestration from team captain Jom Titular.

The NUCC Finals saw a highly anticipated match-up between UP Diliman Ultimate and DLSU. From the get-go, both teams were on their heels in pursuit of the crown. La Salle controlled the pace of the game and were in the driver’s seat for most of the game. However, every time DLSU tried to pull away, UP would create ways to get back in the game, with the biggest margin of the game being only two points. The tension and pressure among the players only grew as the match went on, with neither team wanting to give up. Eventually, La Salle’s determination until the end got them the 15-13 win. They kept their composure and matched UP’s intensity all throughout the championship match.

“All heart,” Titular replied when asked what got them there.

Mina was hailed as the Female Finals’ MVP and Titular was named the Male Finals’ MVP