THE BELLES of Southwestern University salvaged some measure of pride in the beach volleyball competition of the 17th Sandugo-University Games as they brought home third place honors following a straight-set win over La Salle-Dasmarinas yesterday at the University of St. La Salle sand court in Bacolod City.
Both the men’s and women’s teams of SWU made it to the semifinal round of the competition but failed to make it to the championship round following heartbreaking losses to separate opponents. The women’s team of Anna Sabanal and Rapril Aguilar could not get past the Jose Maria College, 20-22, 9-21. However, they made up for it in the battle for third place as they rocker DLS-Dasmarinas to the tune of 21-15, 21-15.
Disappointment though, was etched on the faces of the men’s team composed of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) beach volley champions Relan Taneo and Rommel Pepito as they narrowly lost to the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in their semifinal match-up, 20-22, 18-21.
Another team from Cebu, the University of Southern Philippines Foundation, composed of Edward Ybanez and John Ylanan, also did not make it to the finals as they were defeated by Foundation University in a thrilling three-setter, 21-19, 20-22, 7-15.
USPF then extracted revenge upon SWU for their loss in the recently concluded Cesafi finals by beating the latter for third place, 24-22, 21-15.
In the basketball competition, the National University Bulldogs advanced to the championship round as they got past the Adamson University Soaring Falcons, 67-66, after a game-winning putback by UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks in the game’s waning moments.
NU will get to face the winner of the other semifinal match-up between the reigning champions Ateneo Blue Eagles and the University of the East Red Warriors. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio