Participants of the BVR On Tour Santa Fe Open gather before the start of competition. contributed photo | BVR
Cebu City, Philippines — Perlas’ Bea Tan and Dij Rodriguez took down LNMB-Tanjay’s Natsu Kilamura and Katrina Epa, 21-9, 22-20 to get their women’s championship bid in the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour Santa Fe Open off to a great start on Saturday, March 23, 2019 in Bantayan Island, Cebu.
Tan and Rodriguez were challenged in the second frame, as the hard-fighting Negros Oriental-based pair were on the cusp of extending the match to a third set.
But Rodriguez, the Southwestern University (SWU) ace, delivered late, including the match-clinching block that sealed the straight sets win in front of her province mates.
Tan and Rodriguez formalized their entry to the quarterfinals with a 21-7, 21-13 romp of SWU’s Chyne Mae Saberon and Nicole Ricaborda.
National University (NU)-Boysen’s Roma Joy and Roma Mae Doromal claimed a spot in the quarterfinals after sweeping University of San Carlos’ (USC) Jinianne Kyrch Berdos and Rose Malagar, 21-14, 21-13, and Air Force’s May Ann Pantino and Jozza Cabalsa.
In the men’s division, Air Force’s Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez, who like Tan and Rodriguez also vying for their second straight title this year, overwhelmed Cebu’s John Espina and Gwyn Guy, 21-8, 21-10 and Visayas’ Fort Libres and Raphy Abanto, 21-9, 21-18, to advance to the round of eight.
AboitizLand’s Krung Arbasto and Jason Uy, one of Abdilla and Lopez’s biggest rivals in the throne, became the first team to made it to the quarterfinals by beating NU-Boysen 2’s Jason Gabales and Jewel Cabahug, 21-14, 21-14, and University of St. La Salle (USLS)-Bacolod’s Harold Parcia and Neil Depedro, 21-18, 21-16.
Cebu Provincial Sports Commission executive director Ramil Abing, who attended the brief opening ceremonies along with Jobella Angan-Davide, the wife of Governor Hilario ‘Junjun’ Davide III, reiterated the province’s support to the BVR on Tour.
“It gives opportunity for the athletes to play in a higher level,” said Abing. “We have seen many Cebuano volleyball players make it big in the national level, so why not in beach volleyball also.”
Therese Ramas and Krizia Talacero gave Cebu something to cheer about, as the duo outlasted the USLS pair of Nohlin Jundana and Ceejay Recayo, 22-20, 20-22, 15-11.
In the other women’s match, Bacolod’s Bianca Lizares and Margie Señas turned back PetroGazz’s Jonah Sabete and Melanie Torres, 21-16, 21-15.
Other men’s results show Visayas 1’s Jade Becaldo and Raphy Juban topple Cebu-Russian pair of Amil Pacinio and Mike Shavrak, 21-8, 21-9, while Cebu’s Mel Pacinio and Efren Diego beat NU-Boysen 1’s Edward Camposano and James Buytrago, 21-13, 21-13.
The top two teams after the end of pool matches will advance to Sunday’s quarterfinals, where the winners will progress to the semifinals. /bmjo