Cebu teams hold their ground
EMMANUEL B. VILLARUEL LEMUEL P. MAGLINTE Progress into quarterfinals of BVR on Tour Season 3-Cebu leg
SANTA FE, BantayanIsland—The spirited Cebuano spikers bannered by Jade Becaldo and Calvin Sarte of Team AtoNiBaicourageously holdtheirgroundagainst a tough field of opposition to breeze through the quarterfinal round of the Beach VolleyRepublic(BVR) On Tour Season 3Cebu leg at the Beach PlacidResortsandcourt here yesterday.
Becaldo, last year’s national champion who is now playing with a new partner in Sarte, topped men’s bracket D with a perfect 2-0 record.
Becaldo and Sarte kickstarted their campaign with a uniform 21-10, 21-20 thrashing of Michael Illustrisimo and Remmie Jun Echavez of Santa Fe Mayor Esgana-Skydive Greater Cebu 1, then closed the day with a 2-0 whitewash of Pol Salvador and James Buytrago of the National University (NU).
They were joined in the men’s quarters by fellow Cebuanos Kent Verbosidad and Alastair Gairanud of the University of San JoseRecoletos (USJ-R), and Kevin Juban and Raphy Abanto of the University of the Visayas (UV).
Verbosidad and Gairanud emerged as the elimination round topnotcher in men’s bracket B with a clean 2-0 slate.
After grinding past the hard-fighting tandem of Reniel Illut and Rommel Pepito representing Team Santa Fe Mayor Esgana-Skydive Greater Cebu 2 in a three-set thriller, 2628, 21-13, 16-14, Gairanud and Verbosidad hammered Malaysians Muhammad Afiq Solihin Bid Idris and Raja Nazmi Saifuddin Bin Raja Jussin in straight sets, 21-14, 21-11.
Juban and Abanto, on the other hand, figured in a threeway tie with Herold Parcia and Deanne de Pedro of the University of St. La SalleBacolod and Jessie Lopez and RanbranAbdilla ofAirforce but the UV duo went on to top men’s bracket C courtesy of a superior tiebreaker.
The other quarterfinalists in the men’s category are Simon Aguillon and Roelene Inaudito of Bacolod, Rancel Varga and Royet Varga of Asian Volleybolista from bracketA.
USJ-R was not as lucky in the women’s division with Paula Maninang and Lyn Torado crashing out of the tournament after dropping two straight games.
The only Cebuanos in the women’s final eight are Floremel Rodriguez and Therese Mae Ramas of Tabuelan, who ended the classification stage with a 11 card behind topseed Jozza Cabalsa and Coyah Albanto of Airforce 1.
Completing the list of top qualifiers in the women’s play are Dzi Gervacio and Kassie Gornley of Wakanda, Jennymar Senares and Ann Gaballes of UNO-R2, Erjane Magdato and Alexa Polidario of UNO-R1, Gizelle Tan and Amy Ahomiro of Perlas 12, Charo Soriano and Bea Tan of Perlas 2, and Aimee Laurete and Liezel Elcamel of St. Vincent College of Dipolog City.