Three Cebuano teams make national finals

Three Cebu squads will be holding the city’s flag up high during the national finals of the 15th Nestea Beach Volley after they finished in the top three in their respective divisions during the Visayas eliminations yesterday at the HK Beach Resort in barangay Saavedra, Moalboal town, southwestern Cebu.
The dark clouds and the heavy rain did little to dampen the spirits of the Cebu teams as the Southwestern University Lady Cobras’ pair of Lori Mae Layno and Danika Gendrauli secured a ticket to Boracay Island after finishing in second place to the reigning national champions Central Philippines University of Iloilo City.
The CPU tandem of Philippine beach volley team member Jovelyn Gonzaga and Fiola Ceballos capped off their undefeated run through the competition with a 21-15, 21-17 victory over SWU in the finals.
Just like their first encounter, CPU ran roughshod over SWU in the first set and surged ahead with their dominant all-around play, 21-15.
SWU tried to stave off defeat in the second set as they came within three, 17-20, after a kill by Gendrauli and a net error by CPU. But there would be no drama forthcoming as Ceballos put an end to the set and the match by scoring on a crafty chip shot.
The path of the women’s finals protagonists were each treacherous ones as both had to go through the wringer in the semifinal round earlier in the day.
CPU outlasted the University of San Carlos tandem of Chona Gesulga and Suzette Panes but not without trouble, 16-21, 21-12, 15-8.
SWU, on the other hand, eked past the University of St. La Salle pair of Patty Orendain and Sheryl Denila, 21-18, 19-21, 15-11.
Interestingly, the women’s division will be represented each by Iloilo, Cebu and Bacolod after USLS defeated USC in the battle-for-third place match, 21-14, 16-21, 15-7.
In the men’s division, two Cebu teams grabbed slots to the nationals with the University of the Visayas duo of Jade Becaldo and Mike Abria taking runner-up honors to the USLS’ tandem of Roelene Inaudito and Kerwin Reje, 19-21, 18-21.
The University of San Jose-Recoletos’ Jason Uy and Jade Illut also got into the national finals after they captured third place honors at the expense of USC’s Von Estrera and Kennith Bensig, 21-15, 22-20.
The Spiking Jaguars of head coach Grace Antigua were defeated by USLS in the semis, 17-21, 21-14, 11-15.
UV’s path to the finals was also a pulse-pounding one as they edged USC, 21-13, 31-29.
The national finals will be staged on April 19 to 21 at the Crystal Sands beach resort in Boracay Island.