Foundation University of Dumaguete and University of San Jose de Recoletos-Cebu each sent two teams in the semifinals, which is to be played from April 21-22 in plush Boracay.
Relying on a high-powered net game, Foundation 1’s Edward Balbuena and Isidro Bongcasan scuttled Mapua Institute of Technology’s Alberto Alano and Ely Collado, 15-6, for the first semis seat while USJR-Cebu 2’s Norvie Labuga and Dave Arreza downed San Sebastian College’s Raffy Mosuela and Orlando Malazab, 15-10, to sweep their quarterfinal matches.
Joining Balbuena and Bongcasan in the next round were teammates Ralph Mingueto and Kent Bulabon of Foundation 2, who also had a taste of Alano and Collado following another 15-6 triumph.
Team 1’s Jamal Macasamat and Jerome Capada, on the other hand, made it two in a row for USJR-Cebu after the two mowed down SSC’s Mosuela and Malazaba, 15-5, to accompany Team’s 2 Labuga, Macasamat’s partner in a second place finish last year, and Arreza in the semis.
On the distaff side, San Sebastian kept its title-retention hopes alive as it swept its matches yesterday, the last coming at the expense of Foundation 1 with a lopsided 15-2 win.
But the biggest booster for SSC’s Jennifer Buhawe and Sheryl Tumayao was their 15-5 win over Maricel Gitgit and Marie Cherrie Montalbo of University of San Carlos-Cebu, the pair who beat them (12-11) in Thursday’s Group 3 qualifying round.
Also sweeping its matches was University of St. La Salle-Bacolod’s Cecille Tabuento, half of the team which placed third in the 2000 staging, and Glenda Pintolo, who trounced Southwestern University-Cebu’s Janeth Ponte and Kenneth Cinco, 15-9.
But SWU-Cebu quickly got back to its feet as it clinched the last semis berth in the women’s side with a 15-5 win over De La Salle University’s Demelle Chua and Sheryl Magallanes, 15-5.
Foundation’s women’s squad of Rolyn Marcquicias and Melanie Eralon also booked a seat to Boracay with a 15-2 trampling of Adamson University’s Pine Etrada and Ailane Quina. – Joey Villar