MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo and Letran fashioned out a pair of victories in the rain to take the early lead at the start of the Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Battle of the Champions at Baywalk in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan last Sunday.
Asia Urquico and Jessica Morado of Ateneo outplayed La Salle-Dasmariñas bets Eileen Abuel and Fil-Japanese teammate Hidemi Miyata, 21-16, then turned back the power-serving duo from Puerto Princesa City in Cheryl Onda and Margaret Tabang, 21-15.
Letran standouts Gena Andaya and Marinelle Jane Carolino, on the other hand, trounced Puerto Princesa’s Siena Estrada and Roxanne Pontelo, 21-8, and the La Salle-Dasma duo of Miyata and Abuel, 21-10.
Ateneo and Letran thus share the lead in Bracket B of the tournament supported by Petron, Speedo, Mikasa, Fern-Slim and the city of Puerto Princesa City.
Defending champion Jennifer Manzano and new partner Satchel Senupe took charge in Bracket A as they stopped Letran’s Marie Rose Burce and Melissa Cu, 21-11, before edging Manila’s Jill Gustilo and Chona Cabaral, 23-21.
Perpetual Help’s Jennilyn Aquino and Evarlene, meanwhile, stayed in contention for a semis seat in Bracket A after they bounced back from a 12-21 setback to Puerto Princesa spikers Len Clarianes and Clianne Dacuan with a 21-17 victory over Letran’s Burce and Cu.
Andaya, who took runner-up honors in a collegiate tournament with Carolino, had difficulty getting past Miyata and Abuel at the start. But a series of errors at the net enabled Andaya and Carolino to take charge at 5-1.
The two-day spikefest serves as a qualifying round for the Summer Universiade in China next year, according to organizer Tisha Abundo, who got the approval of the Federation of School Sports Associations of the Philippines.