Friday, April 11, 2008 Best of Visayas By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Staff Reporter
BACOLOD City—The Cebuano beach volleyball teams wiped out the rest of the Visayas to take home the top plums in the regional qualifying of the Nestea Beach Volleyball competition and earn slots to the national finals set two weeks from now in Boracay.
Defending women’s champion, University of the Visayas, last year’s runner up Southwestern University and University of Southern Philippines Foundation, took the only three spots reserved for Boracay. The men’s division was dominated by USPF, the only Cebu team who made it to the top three in the division.
USPF’s James Rivera and Jonrey Sasing showed little signs that they only had a few days of practice prior to the regionals. Rivera’s prowess from the net and the high-flying Sasing’s powerful attacks allowed USPF to hand Foundation University’s Rolando Agus and Arnel Amadeo a straight-set beating, 21-19, 21-16.
It was sweet revenge for USPF as FU defeated them in the battle for third last summer in Boracay.
“It was a good thing that we now have Sasing because he is a strong player,” said Rivera, who paired with Roland Melencion last year.
Sasing did not disappoint as he showcased his prowess, lifting into the air for stronger kills.
Too strong
Amadeo could only shake his head in disbelief after the game.
“They are too strong now, “ Amadeo said.
The USPF duo displayed impressive form despite practicing in the sand court for a short time.
“We will need to expose them to the heat because that was what they lacked,” said head coach Cecil Jotojot. In their other matches, Rivera and Sasing admitted to have secretly prayed for rain or clouds so they would have at least a short reprieve from the heat.
“Inig Boracay, itom na na,” said Jotojot refering to Sasing, who relatively is fair-skinned.
The University of San Jose-Recoletos men’s team and UV failed to make the cut after incurring losses in the last day.
Meanwhile, the UV women’s team of Janez Armie Igot and Jusabelle Brillo made true all predictions when they topped the regional finals, surviving long-time rival SWU’s Janelle Tabio and Florian Gutierrez in three sets, 16-21, 21-14, 15-13.
“We lost in the first set because SWU has really become stronger this time,” said Brillo.
Winning the match had proven that UV is still the undisputed beach volleyball queens as SWU is yet to win over them—a rivalry that dates back since last year when the two teams went at each other in various beach volleyball competitions.
“It is very good to have strong teams from Cebu going into the championship in Boracay,” said UV head coach Raffy Briones.
The Boracay leg is on April 24 to 26 and the top three winners from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will battle for the P125,000 top prize.
