PCU-Dasmariñas sweeps UCAL table tennis team titles in Parañaque

Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas did more than win a pair of titles in Parañaque. By sweeping both the men’s and women’s overall crowns at the inaugural PGFlex-UCAL Season 8 table tennis tournament, PCU-D showed the kind of depth that usually comes from a program, not a one-off surge.

At the Homecourt by Ayala Malls Manila Bay, PCU-D captured all but one of the six events over the three-day competition, a striking opening statement for a sport newly added to the league calendar. That kind of spread across singles and doubles matters in college table tennis: it suggests coaching that can develop complete players, and a pipeline strong enough to keep both lineups competitive when the bracket tightens.

The women’s side was the only place where PCU-D did not run the table. University of Batangas broke through in the singles final, where Princess Gabrielle Brotonel beat Marianne Joyce Peralta to deny PCU-D a clean sweep. Even so, PCU-D answered in doubles, with Ivy Biscochio and Marbie Joy Villacastin taking the title to secure the team championship with 26 points, four ahead of UB. Philippine Women’s University placed third, followed by Manila Central University and Centro Escolar University.

The men’s division looked even more one-sided. Kenn Franklin Gutierrez powered past CEU’s Arnel Luis Acsay to claim the singles gold, then Russel Luna and Engelo Columna added the doubles title to put PCU-D at 28 points, 12 clear of runner-up MCU. UB finished third, while CEU and PWU tied behind them.

For UCAL, the result is important beyond one weekend’s medals. A first-time champion usually arrives by catching fire in one event; PCU-D arrived with balance across both brackets, which is harder to fake and harder to sustain unless a school has real system depth. The early evidence from Parañaque points to a program that can develop winners on both sides of the net, and that is how college table tennis power shifts begin.