THE University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters are champions once again. In a nail-biting finale that pushed both teams to their limits, the Webmasters defended their Cesafi men's volleyball title with a 25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 22-20 victory against the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026.
Playing at the USPF Gym, the Webmasters looked ready to end the night early. Under the leadership of head coach John Abas, UC stormed through the first two sets. With a 2-0 lead, it seemed like the "two-peat" was only minutes away, but the host team had other plans.
Refusing to lose on their home court, the USPF Panthers found their second wind in the third set. They erased an early UC lead with a powerful 12-7 run, taking the set 25-21 and staying alive in the match.
The momentum stayed with USPF in the fourth set. Despite strong plays from UC’s Quiades Labos and Jose Illustrisimo, the Panthers won the set 25-20. Suddenly, the championship was down to one final, deciding set.
The fifth set was a back-and-forth battle that kept fans on the edge of their seats. USPF jumped out to a 10-7 lead, thanks to the efforts of Christian Casas, Mark Canturias, and Spencer Carcuevas. UC responded immediately as Christian Carampatana, Labos, and Illustrisimo sparked a rally to close the gap.
Illustrisimo, a graduating senior, showed his veteran leadership by delivering back-to-back kills and a massive block to tie the game at 14-all.
The game moved into several "deuces," meaning neither team could get the two-point lead needed to win. Finally, Labos sealed the victory with a clever drop ball that fooled the USPF defense, ending the final set with a staggering score of 22-20.
While the Webmasters celebrated their back-to-back titles, several players were recognized for their incredible individual seasons. Labos was named tournament MVP, while his teammate Kianne Bernadez earned Rookie of the Year honors.
Other standouts included Jayra Licayan of UV as Best Libero, Charles Kenyon Emboy of USPF as Best Setter, and Jasper Judilla of USPF as Best Opposite Hitter.
The Best Middle Blocker awards went to Christian Carampatana of UC and Kirby Villabito of USPF, while Ryan Enojo of USJ-R and Illustrisimo of UC were named the tournament's Best Outside Hitters. / JBM