By el Amigo
MANILA – Defending UAAP champion National University (NU), NCAA titleholder College of Saint Benilde (CSB), and reigning V-League Collegiate Challenge champion Far Eastern University (FEU) lead the men’s division of the 2026 tournament, which opens Saturday at the newly built Gameville Central Park in Mandaluyong City.
The competition, now entering its 22nd year, provides collegiate teams with an opportunity to test their lineups and fine-tune their preparations ahead of their respective league campaigns.
Completing the men’s roster are the University of Santo Tomas (UST), De La Salle University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Mapua University, and Arellano University.
In the women’s division, UAAP semifinalists UST Golden Tigresses and Adamson University Lady Falcons will be joined by NCAA champion Letran Lady Knights and runners-up CSB Lady Blazers.
The field also includes the University of the East Lady Warriors, Perpetual Help Lady Altas, San Beda Lady Red Spikers, and Arellano Lady Chiefs.
All participating teams will go through a single round-robin preliminary phase. Each playdate will feature two men’s matches and two women’s matches.
The four highest-ranked teams in each division will proceed to the best-of-three semifinals. The top seed will take on the No. 4 team, while the second seed will face the third-ranked squad.
The championship will likewise be settled through a best-of-three series, while the bronze medal will be determined in a single winner-take-all match.
elamigo/xf
