MANILA, Philippines – In their final game of the UAAP Season 78 tournament, the University of the East (UE) Lady Warriors snapped a 58-game losing streak. Can they build on the upset victory and become a contender in Season 79?

Season 78 record: 1-13

Season 78 summary: The UE Lady Warriors entered Season 78 having gone three straight years without a UAAP victory. For most of the tournament, it appeared that they were headed for another winless campaign. They won only one set for the entirety of the first round – against Far Eastern University – but for most of the year they were swept aside by the other UAAP teams.

Everything changed in their final game of the tournament. Behind a solid team effort, the Lady Warriors upended Adamson University, 25-17, 25-22, 29-27, to snap what had become a 58-game losing streak.

Shaya Adorador was the most consistent UE player throughout the year, and libero Kathleen Arado improved in her sophomore year after winning Rookie of the Year honors in Season 77. But the most intriguing member of the squad was Roselle Baliton, who from being a middle blocker was shifted into a setter late in the tournament.

• READ: The motivation behind UE ending a 58-game losing skid

Key losses: Celine Domingo, Dana Disquitado

Key returnees: Shaya Adorador, Kathleen Arado, Roselle Baliton

Projection: UE's victory over Adamson in their last game of Season 78 changed the complexion of their volleyball program. It was a massive boost of confidence for the Lady Warriors, who at that point had yet to win a UAAP game in their collegiate careers.

It also ensured that UE coach Francis Vicente will stay with the team for at least one more run. The coach had told his players that he was prepared to walk away had they endured another winless year.

The Lady Warriors are thus heading into the Season 79 tournament with guarded optimism. They had a solid campaign in the UniGames last year, and their three key players – Adorador, Arado, and Baliton – all gained valuable experience through the Philippine Superliga. Vicente reported that he has seen great improvement in his team, especially in terms of showing their fighting spirit.

When asked for their goal in Season 79, the Lady Warriors said they are determined to improve on last year's eighth-place standing, and possibly even make a run to the Final Four. More than likely, however, Season 79 will be an uphill climb anew for UE, even though they have last season's win against Adamson to build on.

Integral to the Lady Warriors is the performance of Baliton. At 6-foot-0, she is the tallest player for UE, yet will play a position usually reserved for shorter, speedier players. Baliton has said she has come to enjoy playing as a setter, but it remains to be seen if the experiment will work in the long term for UE.

What they said: "Ngayon, mas do-doblehin namin ang palaban. As in, warrior po. 'Yun naman po talaga ang dapat naming gawin – maging palaban, 'yung walang negative thoughts na papasok sa mind namin." – libero Kathleen Arado.

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