THE boys’ defending champion University of Southern Philippines-Foundation (USP-F) remains a force to be reckoned with despite a new set of players in the 2018 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) beach volleyball tournament.

USP-F kept its record perfect in five games after slamming the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) in straight sets, 21-16, 21-13, on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Fort San Pedro sand court.

The Lahug-based school has assembled a formidable force after the players from last season completed their playing years.

The front-runners of the USP-F beach volleyball team now are Ian Kym Jumandos of Bohol, Amil Pacinio of Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island and Zanderjude Ybañez from Lapu-Lapu City.

Jumandos and Pacinio are not new in the big stage having played for the Cebu Province and Bohol Province indoor volleyball team in the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (Cviraa).

“It’s all about our determination, being our first year here in USP-F,” said the 16-year-old Pacinio.

“We practice a lot to enhance our teamwork. It’s important to work hard so we can achieve the goal,” added the hard-hitting spiker Jumandos.

USP-F will next face the Southwestern University-Phinma on Sunday and Cebu Institute of Technology-University on Friday for their last two assignments in the elimination round.

In the women’s division, the new team Cebu Doctors’ University split their two games. CDU won against CIT-U, 21-12, 21-13, but lost to University of San Carlos (USC), 21-15, 22-20.

The USJ-R women’s team pulled off a 21-8, 21-11 win over the defending champions Southwestern University (SWU-Phinma), who broke sweat with a default win over the University of Cebu (UC) before facing USJ-R.

USP-F, meanwhile, slammed the CIT-U in straight sets, 21-8, 21-11. In the other games, CIT-U men’s team defeated USJ-R, 16-21,22-20, 15-9; the SWU-Phinma boys’ team outlasted Don Bosco Technological Center, 21-18, 21-15; USP-F men’s team escaped USC, 15-21, 21-19, 15-12; and SWU-Phinma girls’ team won via default over USC. RSC