National University Nazareth School and FEU-Diliman finished pool play unbeaten as quarterfinal matchups set up. NUNS meets St. John’s Institute Wednesday in the knockout phase.
National University Nazareth School (NUNS) didn’t just win Pool A—it dominated it, finishing the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League Rising Stars Cup Division 1 pool play with a clean sweep.
That same momentum carried into the quarterfinals picture as Far Eastern University-Diliman also went through its group stage unbeaten, carving out a path that will test the league’s teams when the knockouts start to bite.. For many players, pool play can feel like a sprint to position; for NUNS and FEU-Diliman, it became a statement of intent.
NUNS crushes Bethel to finish Pool A spotless
Alonzo credited the unbeaten run to preparation and execution, saying they were happy to reach the quarterfinals without a loss.. She also posted eight points from attacks, a detail that matters because it suggests NUNS wasn’t depending on luck or a single phase to rack up points.. Bella Cruz added six, while Jhayna Bulandres and Diza Berayo scored five each, giving NUNS a spread of scoring options rather than a one-player show.
The reward for that form is a quarterfinal clash with St. John’s Institute on Wednesday—an opponent that will likely be sharper than the teams in Pool A once do-or-die volleyball takes over.
FEU-Diliman also finishes unbeaten in Pool C
In the quarterfinal bracket, FEU-Diliman’s path also includes a Pool B matchup between the Baby Lady Tamaraws and Immaculada Conception College, the second seed.. Pool B is set to be a different kind of challenge, because it carries the momentum of teams that managed to survive longer stretches of competition.
King’s Montessori earns final Pool A quarter spot; other quarterfinals set
Unbeaten University of Santo Tomas advanced from Pool D with a sweep after an escape from upset-conscious Emilio Aguinaldo College, 25-18, 20-25, 15-9.. Rhose Almendralejo powered last year’s runner-up Bacolod Tay Tung with 14 points as it built momentum heading for the quarters, beating Immaculada Conception College, 25-14, 25-13, to emerge unscathed in Pool B after four starts.
Elsewhere in Division 1, De La Salle-Lipa ended pool play with a 25-16, 25-23 win over winless University of the Philippines Integrated School for an even 2-2 record in Pool C.. The bracket is now set to bring together teams that found their gear at the right time—and for players, that means the first whistle of the knockout match will carry even more weight than earlier rounds.
Division 2 quarterfinal picture: Corpus Christi, Domuschola punch through
Corpus Christi faces St.. Jude Parish School, while Domuschola International School takes on undefeated University of Batangas.. Other knockout qualifiers were shaped by close momentum swings: St.. Jude Parish School earned its quarterfinal trip in Pool G with a come-from-behind win over CCF-The Life Academy, 16-25, 25-14, 15-3, and La Salle Green Hills clinched the final Pool F spot after beating Poveda College, 18-25, 25-19, 17-15.
Why the unbeaten runs matter heading into the knockouts
And for the teams that barely made it—King’s Montessori in Pool A and the late qualifiers across other groups—their path may come with extra adrenaline, because surviving the pool stage tends to sharpen focus.. Wednesday’s quarterfinals and beyond will show whether the early dominance from NUNS and FEU-Diliman can withstand opponents who are now fully motivated to disrupt their rhythm.
MISRYOUM will keep tracking the Rising Stars Cup as the bracket tightens and the teams that peaked at the right moment move closer to the championship conversation.