Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Liloan, Sta. Fe top first matches in quarterfinal
CLUSTER winners in the Governor Gwen Garcia Unity Volleyball Cup for Women 2007 squared off yesterday at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex to snag slot to the semifinal round of the province-wide competition.
The twelve cluster champions and their runners up from the six clusters spread all over the province of Cebu, were divided into two brackets and now need to take the top two spots in their respective brackets in order to move to the semifinal round.
Yesterday, Liloan, Tuburan, Santa Fe and Minglanilla took their first step towards the P100,000 top purse after winning their first assignments yesterday.
Liloan sailed through an easy 25-14, 25-15 win over Sogod in Bracket A. Sogod failed to capitalize on the presence of former collegiate stalwart Cherry Petalcorin and Sue Anne Giselle Albao as they lost terribly to Liloan.
Petalcorin, who used to play for University of San Carlos is a candidate for three different individual awards—best attacker, best server and best blocker. Albao is also vying for the best setter and server diadems. Those who get individual awards will also win cash prizes.
Liloan banked on Maritess del Mar, Susana Pepito and Cyril Rivera for their win.
Meanwhile, Catmon’s young guns, Catherine Marquez and Athena Sucalit, once more showcased their prowess when they trounced Tuburan, 25-14, 25-10. Both Sucalit and Marquez were members of the team that sent Sogod to the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association.
Santa Fe, on the other hand, powered by Southwestern University stalwarts Danalie Baquiro, Luily Pacino and Hannamae Sevilla, also pulled off an easy 25-15, 25-18 win over Sibonga. Baquiro is candidate for best attacker and blocker awards.
Meanwhile, Minglanilla pulled off a come-from-behind win over Compostela in Bracket B. Minglanilla suffered a 21-25 bashing in the first set, but behind Janice Sellon and Vanessa Juezan, Minglanilla bounced back in the second set, 25-11, to force a deciding set. Minglanilla eventually took, 25-21.
The quarterfinals follows a single round robin format with the top two in each bracket advancing to the crossover semifinal round.
Competitions continue today still at the same venue. The semifinals and final competitions will be held at the Cebu International Convention Center. (MCB)
