Photo Courtesy: UAAP Season 87 Media Team
Paolo Barcelon
DLSU wins against UST to claim UAAP’s first-ever VALORANT title
De La Salle University unleashed a masterclass, sweeping University of Santo Tomas 13-5, 13-7 in a high-octane finals showdown to capture the first-ever UAAP Esports VALORANT championship on Friday at the Hyundai Hall, Arete Ateneo in Quezon City.
In a relentless display of precision and teamwork, the Green Archers proved unstoppable in their quest for UAAP history.
La Salle coach Xavier “Xavi8K” Juan attributed their dominant performance in the finals to lessons learned during their tough semifinal match, which served as a springboard for their success.
"It became a lesson learned for us in the finals. In the finals, we were calm and cool. We played good. Our plays worked. They performed well and our communication was good. The semifinal was a lesson learned and we did way better in the finals," said Juan.
La Salle's Viridis Arcus remained unbeaten throughout the tournament, losing only one game to assert their dominance in this first-ever UAAP esports event. Their flawless run showcased their strength as a team.
Aaron Sablay, a third-year Applied Economics student at La Salle, led the way in the finals and was awarded the Predator Finals MVP after an outstanding performance against the UST Teletigers. Despite his individual accolades, Sablay emphasized the collective effort of the team.
"Obviously masaya but as I said, it's a team game. Everyone in the team played well. I think any given day, any of us could be the MVP because we all played our parts really well," Sablay said. His precise play was instrumental in fending off UST's early game surge.
In Game 1 of the gold medal match, La Salle found themselves trailing 3-2 early on but quickly turned the tide, winning eight of the next nine rounds behind Sablay's precise assassinations, ultimately securing a 13-5 victory.
Game 2 followed a similar pattern, as La Salle strung together six consecutive rounds to build a commanding 10-4 lead before closing out the series with a 13-7 triumph.
The victorious Viridis Arcus squad also featured Derrick Ong, Lucas Gruenberg, Miguel Fernando Dy, Gerardo Luis Corpus II, and Lance Elmo Gacayan, who all contributed to the team's success.
On the UST side, John Matthew Cuaresma was named the Chow King Kakaibang Player of the Tournament, receiving P30,000 in cash after leading his team to the top spot in Group B and a spot in the finals.
Earlier in the day, La Salle's Viridis Arcus earned their place in the championship match with a hard-fought 13-2, 9-13, 13-9 victory over the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons. The UP roster, composed of Lance Veyonce Clemente, Nathan Gabriel Danac, Jose Benedicto Dasas, Rafael Anton Somera, Cyrus Toring, and Paul Julian Uson, proved to be formidable opponents, but La Salle ultimately prevailed.
Meanwhile, UST, represented by Damien Joshua Santos, Carl Angelo Baldovia, Nathan Kyle Manuta, Angelo Kyan Ysibido, and Erl Adrik Mariano, secured its spot in the finals with a 13-6, 13-7 win over Ateneo de Manila University in the other semifinal.
Both the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the UP Fighting Maroons were awarded bronze medals for their efforts in the tournament. Ateneo's roster included Joaquin De Guia, Juancho Garcia, John Michael Amador, Christian Owen, Joaquin Antonio, and Juan Antonio Rosales.
