Ateneo Lady Eagles celebrate after defeating the UST Tigresses in Game 3 of the UAAP Season 81 Volleyball Finals at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The defending champion Bulldogs went back-to-back at the expense of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws in a sweep of their best-of-three series while the Lady Eagles needed a deciding Game 3 to survive the University of Santo Tomas Tigresses for their first title since 2014.National team member Bryan Bagunas anchored NU with four-set victories over FEU, earning him both the Finals and Season Most Valuable Player awards.
Ateneo, for its part, dug deep in surviving a resilient UST as the Tigresses sought their first title in 10 years. Bea De Leon ended her collegiate career with a bang and a title plus a Finals MVP trophy, while Sisi Rondina, who also played her final year with the Tigresses, exited with the Season MVP plum.