A USJ-R player reaches to save the ball against her counterparts from SWU in the championship match of the Cesafi beach volleyball tournament at the Aznar sand courts. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
THE SOUTHWESTERN University (SWU) bagged two titles at the expense of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) in the Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) beach volleyball tournament, which ended yesterday at the Aznar sand courts.
The Lady Cobras’ Floramel Rodriguez and Therese Rae Ramas turned back the Lady Jaguars, 21-13, 21-13, to win their second straight women’s beach volley title.
Aside from winning the title, Rodriguez was also named best attacker while Ramas won the best server title.
In the secondary girls division, the fourth-seed SWU Cobras pulled off an upset by crushing the second-ranked USJ-R Jaguars, 19-21, 21-19, 15-13.
It has been an up-and-down year for the Cobras, who found themselves in unfamiliar territory when they were fighting for the last spot in the semifinals. But things went their way after that, pulling off several upsets, including a semifinal victory against the top-ranked University of San Carlos Warriors (USC) on Saturday.
But the Jaguars were able to pull one off against SWU as USJ-R men’s team of Kent Verbosidad and Owen De Belen defeated Dave Cabaron and Rommel Pepito, 22-20, 12-21, 27-25.
The loss denied SWU of a third title in the beach volleyball tournament of the Cesafi.
SWU Head Coach Dave Arreza told Cebu Daily News his players were too complacent against the dangerous Jaguars.
“They were just over confident against USJ-R,” said the multi-titled Arreza.
SWU’s Cabaron, meanwhile, was named best server in their division while Pepito won the best digger award. USJ-R’s Verbosidad was named best attacker.
Winning the boys’ title were the USC Baby Warriors, who defeated the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation Baby Panthers, 21-15, 27-25