Adamson, FEU split volley titles

MANILA, Philippines - Adamson University and Far Eastern University split top honors in the UAAP Season 73 beach volleyball competitions that ended yesterday at the UE Caloocan sandcourt.

The Lady Falcons’ Angela Benting and Pau Soriano trampled La Salle’s Charleen Cruz and Amanda Villanueva, 21-17, 21-14, to cop their second straight women’s tiara while FEU’s Nestor Molate and Arvin Avila dispatched University of Santo Tomas’ Henry Pecaña and Harby Ilano, 21-12, 21-16, to regain the men’s crown.

Benting and Soriano used their experience and relatively fresher legs to pound on a weary La Salle rival, who had to go through tough stepladder matches earlier in the day. The Lady Falcons got an outright finals berth after going 7-0 in the elims.

“We knew they (Lady Archers) are tired so we turned the heat on them, played according to gameplan and never gave them the confidence,” said Benting, who capped her UAAP career with back-to-back crowns and MVP plums.

La Salle’s second place was its best achievement since women’s beach volley was added to the UAAP calendar in 2007.

Before making the finals, the Lady Archers beat UST’s Sarah Jane Gonzales and Judy Ann Caballejo, 21-19, 8-21, 15-9, in the first stepladder match then ousted FEU’s Shaira Gonzalez and Shedd dela Peña, 21-14, 18-21, 16-14, for a championship berth.

As dominating as AdU were MVP Molate and Avila of the Tams, who also finished the tourney unscathed while capturing FEU’s third overall men’s beach volley crown.

The Tigers, last year’s champions, earned the right to face FEU for the diadem by drubbing Mico Lucindo and Jeff Langsangan of University of the Philippines, 21-11, 17-21, 15-11.