The UST Tiger Sands dethroned the NU-Nazareth School Bullpups, 21-14, 13-21, 16-14, to clinch their maiden title in the UAAP Season 87 boy’s beach volleyball tournament on Sunday, Feb. 2, at the SM Sands by the Bay.

The duo of JM Lagaran and Lance Malinao broke away from the Bullpups in the first set as they outscored the tandem of Wayne Dionela and Kian Tan, 10-5, to clinch the first set, 21-14.

NUNS remained unfazed in the second set as Dionela and Tan eventually got their offensive arsenal rolling to tie the match at one set apiece, 21-13.

UST was on the brink of finishing as runners-up in the competition as they trailed by four points in the deciding set, 8-12, until Laparan and Malinao embarked on a massive 8-2 run to ultimately deny a title repeat for the Bullpups, 16-14.

Lagaran was crowned tournament MVP as the Junior Tiger Sands swept through the competition as they won all nine of their matches throughout the season.

Girls Junior Tiger Sands dethroned

Meanwhile, the hunt for a third-straight beach volleyball crown for the girl’s team of the Junior Tiger Sands came up short as they bowed to the NUNS Lady Bullpups, 21-18, 10-21,8-15.

UST’s pairing of Cheng Dadang and Angelica del Mar jockeyed for supremacy against NUNS during the first set, which UST won, 21-18, courtesy of two errors from the Bullpups late in the set.

NUNS’ duo of Vilmarie Toos and Faith Mangyao answered back in the second set as they dominated the Junior Tiger Sands throughout the set, 21-10.

The Bullpups started the third set up by five-to-nothing, before the Junior Tiger Sands brought their lead down to just three, 7-4.

However, UST’s hopes of a three-peat ended there as the Bullpups proceeded to outscore and ultimately dethrone the Junior Tiger Sands in the girls division, 8-15.

The win gave the Lady Bullpups their maiden UAAP girl’s beach volleyball crown.

Volleyball will return indoors as the much-awaited start of the UAAP Season 87 men’s and women’s volleyball tournaments take place on Saturday, Feb. 15.