Lady Patriots make Petron volley semis

PUERTO Princesa City – De La Salle University-Dasmarinas standouts April Almaden and Precious Abano pulled off a stunning 15-8 win over UP’s Carmela Lopez and Ivory Joy Rivera to advance to the semifinal round of the Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Battle of the Champions at the Baywalk sand courts here. 

Almaden and Abano, members of the DLSU-Dasma Lady Patriots team, which has dominated the National Capital Region Athletic Association indoor volleyball competitions the last four years, turned backed the injury-stricken Lopez and Rivera, who grabbed a 5-3 advantage.

But the 19-year-old Almaden took charge at the net with her drop shots as they surged ahead at 11-5 lead en route to the win in this event backed by Petron, with support from Speedo, Mikasa and the City of Puerto Princesa.

The victory by Almaden and Abano was their third in four games as they gained a three-way tie in Group B with the duo of Lopez and Rivera, and UP standouts Southlyn Ramos and Paulene Genido.

They joined Group A qualifiers Hannah Suarez and Angela Benting of Adamson, and UP spikers Danielle Michiko Castaneda and Lea Acepcion.

Suarez and Benting came away with a four-game sweep of Group A after beating Jeusel Wensh Tiu and Regina Tungol of the Lady Patriots, 15-9. 

Castaneda and Acepcion bounced back from a 23-25 setback to Suarez and Benting with a three-game winning run, which they capped with a 15-10 stopping of Philippine School of Business Administrations Roxanne Naral and Dyrene Rose Benecio.