HAU Golden Guardians opened their second-season campaign in the Universities and Colleges Premier League (UCPL) with split results, as the women’s team outlasted the St. Dominic Savio College (SDSC) Unicorns in five sets, 3–2, while the men’s team fell to the Philippine Maritime Merchant School (PMMS) Mariners, 0–3.

Opening the match with a dominant defensive display at the University of Makati Gymnasium on January 21, the HAU women surged to a two-set lead, taking the first two sets, 25 – 17 and 25 – 19.

Despite their sustained dominance, the Unicorns managed to close the gap by taking the next two sets, 25 – 21 and 26 – 24, opening an opportunity for a comeback.

Ultimately, the Guardians stopped the Unicorns’ momentum, as they secured the final set with a 15 – 11 score, declaring HAU the winner of the match.

Sarah Faustino was hailed as the Most Valuable Player of the game, showing off an exceptional performance with spikes and blocks that helped HAU secure the victory.

Meanwhile, the HAU men’s volleyball team bowed to PMMS Mariners due to its oppressive offense and unmatchable defense, as the opposing team secured straight-set wins of 15 – 25, 18 – 25, and 13 – 25.

Both the men’s and women’s varsity volleyball teams are set to return on January 23 for their second matches.