A NEW champion will be crowned this season after streaking National University Nazareth School dethroned Adamson University, 25-13, 25-22, to secure a semifinals seat in the 2025 Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup Division 1 Thursday at the La Salle Green Hills Gym.

The unbeaten Lady Bullpups charged back from six points down in the second set to finish off the Lady Baby Falcons in the knockout quarterfinals for their fifth straight win and a step closer to claiming a breakthrough title in the country’s biggest grassroots volleyball league backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea.

Reigning UAAP MVP Sam Cantada punished her former team with nine points, including five in the second frame, as the recently crowned Palarong Pambansa champion NUNS stamped its class over its UAAP Season 87 finals victim.

“Sa akin kahit grabe ang pressure kasi syempre po dati kong school ‘yun. Good thing naman na-overcome ko yung pressure at na-handle ko siya ng maayos,” said Cantada, who led Adamson to runner-up finish before transferring to NUNS.

The Lady Bullpups trailed, 16-10, before sparking a 9-3 run capped by a Cantanda service winner to knot the second frame at 19.

Lhouriz Tudao gave the Lady Baby Falcons their last taste of the lead, 21-20. Tudao’s costly service error in the next play ignited a 5-1 closing blitz for NUNS sealed by a Jenelyn Jacob shutdown against Ellaine Gonzalvo.

“Every time na nagkaka-error nire-remind po namin ang isa’t isa na di namin kailangang magmadali and hindi po pwedeng magre-relax kami. Hindi porke’t nanalo kami sa Palaro or yung kompiyansa namin na galing sa Palaro eh magre-relax na kami. And hindi pa naman tapos kasi may goal kami dito sa Shakey’s,” Cantada said.

Jacob and Harlyn Serneche scored seven points each for the Lady Bullpups, who will take on undefeated Emilio Aguinaldo College in the knockout best-of-five sets Final Four on Friday.

The Lady Brigadiers defeated King’s Montessori School, 25-22, 25-16, to earn a semis spot.

Angel Joy Perez fired 17 points anchored on 15 attacks and two aces while Hanameel Saplot backed her up with nine markers as EAC remained unblemished after five games in the tournament backed by Mikasa, Asics, Team Rebel Sports, Belo Deo and Smart.

Meanwhile, Bacolod Tay Tung survived feisty Far Eastern University-Diliman, 25-22, 27-25, to book a semis ticket and stay unblemished after five starts.

Camila Bartolome scored eight points while Rhose Almendralejo chipped in seven markers as the Thunderbolts advanced to their third straight semis appearance.

The Palarong Pambansa runner-up will face De La Salle-Lipa in the Final Four.

Feliss Sumague and Kyle Aldovino showed the way in the Green Stallions’ upset over erstwhile unbeaten Arellano University, 25-23, 17-25, 25-19, in the lone Division 1 quarters pairing that went to a deciding frame.

Sumague and Aldovino finished with nine points each for the Batangas-based squad.

Adamson, KMS, FEU-Diliman and Arellano were relegated to the classification round.

In Division 2 quarterfinal action, Immaculate Conception Academy swept Miriam College, 25-19, 25-20, while Everest International Academy booted out Assumption Antipolo, 25-20, 25-22, to forge a semis duel.

St. Paul College-Pasig eliminated La Salle Green Hills, 25-17, 25-22, for a Final Four match against Domuschola International School, which topped De La Salle-Zobel B, 25-19, 11-25, 25-13.