BACOLOD CITY – Cebu teams swept the titles in the Visayas eliminations of the prestigious Nestea Beach Volley Season 12 with defending women’s national champion University of the Visayas (UV) and University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) topping their respective divisions at the close of the three-day contest yesterday here at the University of St. La Salle (USLS) sand courts.
The mighty UV pair of Jusabelle Brillo and Janez Armie Igot were pushed to the limit before prevailing over the equally-tough Southwestern University (SWU) tandem of Janelle Tabio and Florianne Gutierrez in their grueling three-set battle that thrilled the spectators to the bones despite the sweltering heat of the summer sun.
“It only shows that SWU is our number one opponent for Boracay. We lost in the first set because they (Tabio and Gutierrez) were really performing well inside the court,” said UV head coach Raffy Briones.
“But we recovered in the second set because we already adjusted to the attacks and plays they showed to us,” added Briones.
Preying on Brillo and Igot’s spate of service errors and poor receptions, Tabio and Gutierrez went on to win the first set, 21-16.
Brillo and Igot, however, quickly made the necessary adjustments and turned the tables on SWU in the second, 21-15, to forge a rubbermatch.
In the deciding set, UV and SWU figured in a suspense-filled showdown that left the crowd holding their breath until the end. But Brillo and Igot showed nerves of steel in warding off a spirited resistance by SWU to seal the deal.
SWU threatened for the last time at 14-15, but UV immediately went for the kill and wrap up the match at 15-13, thus, setting off their title retention bid in the Boracay national finals on April 24-26 in full motion.
Interestingly, it’s an all-Cebu delegation to the national finals in the women’s division. USPF’s Erika Camille Verano and Herlene Ybarita booked the third and last ticket to Boracay by placing third courtesy of its 21-19, 21-17 drubbing of Jenny Torres and Julie Anne Billote of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R).
In the men’s division, the comebacking Jhunrey Sasing and James Ryan Rivera of USPF also basked in championship glory with a 21-19, 21-16 victory over Rolando Agus and Arnel Amadeo of Foundation University (FU).
Sasing’s powerful jump serves and thunderous attacks combined with Rivera’s solid blocks were more than enough to destroy the defense posted by FU’s Agus and Amadeo tandem.