Dosdos-Carpio tops Petron beach volley

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga—Battled-tested Helen Dosdos and Johanna Carpio brushed aside the challenge put up by the younger, less-experienced pair of Karla San Diego and Jackie Ann Montefrio, scoring a straight-sets 21-14, 21-14 victory to top the second leg of the 2004 Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Championship.

The opening set proved easy for the taking for Dosdos and Carpio of the Philippine Navy but they went on a bad start in the next set as the UP tandem played a little more aggressively in taking a 2-6 lead and threatening to level their best-of-three final at the sand-court of the Clearwater Country Club.

The prospect of a third set, winner-take-all showdown, however, was not in the agenda of Dosdos and Carpio. "Pagod na rin kasi kami. Nag-isip kami ng paraan kung papaano mapapadali ang game and sosorpresahin ang kalaban," said Carpio, who like Dosdos, is a former national volleyball player.

No more set plays, just quick returns. The game-plan worked wonders for the Dosdos-Carpio, duo as they came charging back to tie the count at 7-7.

"One-touch ball lang kami, pagbigay nila ng bola, ibinabalik agad namin," added Dosdos. "May usapan na kami na pag itinaas ko, wag na nya i-set uli. Ibabalik na niya sa kalaban."

The Navy spikers pulled ahead at 12-8 but San Diego and Montefrio never found a way to recover. "Hindi na sila nakapag-adjust after that kasi siguro pagod na rin sila," said Carpio, who’s sharing with Dosdos the P10,000 top purse of this leg supported by Petron and Universal Motors, with Wilson as the official ball.

"The ladies did not disappoint the weekend crowd that went to our place. We were excited for the whole event, the adrenaline was building towards the weekend and the ladies provided us an exciting two-day outdoor spectacle," said Ike Madamba, assistant CEO of Clearwater Country Club.

Tisha Abundo, head of the organizing Volts Management Group, said the third leg will be held in Boracay. Those who failed to win in the previous legs can get another chance to be included in the Battle of the Bests set in December.