UV, SWU tossers dethrone rivals

The University of the Visayas (UV) and the Southwestern University (SWU) regained their places at the top of Cebu’s collegiate beach volleyball scene.

The Green Lancers took back the men’s division title they last won in 2011 after dethroning yesterday the defending champions University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) Panthers in a down-the-wire 17-21, 21-19, 15-13 victory in the Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation (Cesafi) beach volleyball tournament at SWU’s beach volleyball sand court at the Aznar Coliseum.

In the distaff side, the 2011 women’s division champion SWU completed its dominance in the tournament and exacted sweet revenge against their tormentors in last year’s finals, USP-F, with an easy 21-13, 21-17 victory to take home the crown.

The spiking Green Lancers duo of Mike Abria and Mark Anthony Fernandez, who were considered non-factors after absorbing a couple of losses on opening day, came back strong after an opening set loss to the Panthers’ Edmar Bonono, John Ylanan and John Tormis to score an upset victory.

Bonono and Ylanan showed their mighty form and established a 19-10 lead in the opening set. UV’s Abria, who is on his last playing year in the Cesafi, and Fernandez unleashed a long rally that brought the Green lancers to within three points, 17-20, but Tormis scored the match point with a beautiful block off a UV spike to give the win to the Panthers.

Abria and Fernandez’s opportunity came in the second set as they survived a closely-fought second frame before escaping with the win to forge a rubbermatch.

USP-F briefly held the edge in the deciding set twice at 4-2 and 5-3 before UV took the driver’s seat for good starting from a 10-9 lead up until the end.

Tanjay City, Negros Oriental-native Floremel Rodriguez, meanwhile, led the barrage of the Lady Cobras alongside Therese Rae Ramas as the SWU tandem never gave the Lady Panthers’ Jackyline Tada-tada and Rochelle Rica a chance to even get close in both sets of the match.

The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars took home the bronze medal in the men’s side after Owen Belen and Jade Illut towed the team to a thrilling 21-17, 19-21, 18-16 victory over the SWU Cobras of Royet Varga and Pepito.