Therese Rae Ramas of the Southwestern University (SWU), soars for a smash against the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) during their CESAFI women’s beach volleyball semifinals match yesterday at the SWU sand courts. SWU won and advanced to the finals against USJ-R. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) men’s and women’s beach volleyball teams gave their assistant coach Heintjie Tomales a fitting birthday present yesterday.
This after the Spiking Jaguars scored separate semifinal victories to move into today’s winner-take-all finals of the CESAFI beach volleyball tournament at the Southwestern University (SWU) sand courts.
In yesterday’s torrid semifinal action, the Lady Jaguars of Paula Maninang, Jessa Jorquia and Linlyn Torado made sure at getting another shot against the SWU Lady Cobras as they dominated the University of Cebu (UC), 21-9, 21-7.
Earlier, the Lady Cobras pulled off a masterful semifinals bashing of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USP-F), 21-13, 21-8 to stay on track of notching their fourth straight beach volleyball crown.
It can be recalled the Lady Jaguars absorbed a bitter finals loss to the same Lady Cobras squad last year.
Muriel Opoc of the University of Cebu (UC) dives as she tries to save the ball during their CESAFI beach volleyball women’s semifinal game against University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) manned by Paula Maninang and Jessa Marie Jorque at the SWU sand courts. USJ-R won to arrange a title showdown with host SWU. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
“We just need to focus and communicate inside to win. And to trust your teammates,” said USJ-R mentor Grace Antigua.
Not to be outdone are the USJ-R men’s squad, the reigning defending champions who survived the Spiking Cobras, 24-22, 21-18 via the game winning kill from reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP), Kent Jay Verbosidad
The trio of Verbosidad, Alastair Gairanod and RA Tecson will go up against the University of the Visayas pair of Jojo Noval and John Juban in today’s finals after the latter crushed USP-F, 21-15, 21-16 in the semis.
Meanwhile, the third-ranked USPF scored an upset in girls action as they stunned the second-seed University of San Carlos (USC), 21-14, 21-16 to set up a titular showdown with defending champions SWU which dominated UC, 21-10, 21-13 earlier.
In boys play, defending champions USC and UC forged a knockout championship duel after they overcame opening set meltdowns against separate semifinal foes.
The top-ranked USC hacked out a, 17-21, 21-13 15-9 victory over USJ-R while UC completed the day of comebacks with a, 17-21, 23-21, 15-12 victory over USPF.