Nestea beach volley Visayas eliminations: Cebu teams off to flying start

BACOLOD CITY — All Cebu teams posted back-to-back victories during the opening games of the 2008 Nestea Beach Volley Visayas eliminations yesterday at the University of St. La Salle sand courts here.

Defending national champion Jusabelle Brillo and Janez Armie Igot of the University of the Visayas (UV) trounced Jenny Torres and Julie Anne Billote of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) in straight sets, 21-11, 21-14.

Janelle Tabio and Florianne Gutierrez of the Janeth Ponte-coached Southwestern University (SWU) also went off to a flying start, hacking out an easy 21-11, 21-8 victory over the University of Iloilo (UI).

Not wanting to be outdone, Erika Camille Verano and Herlene Ybarita of the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) crushed Iloilo’s University of San Agustin (USA) also in straight sets.

In the men’s division, Ariel Carumba and rookie Loujie Tipgos of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) overcame a first -set debacle to stun host USLS-Bacolod, 15-21, 21-12, 15-10. USJ-R earlier outsmarted Colegiod de San Agustin- Bacolod (CSAB), 21-13, 21-10.

USPF’s James Ryan Rivera and Jhunrey Sasing, on the other hand, routed Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion, 21-14, 21-18, while UV split its games, winning over Saint Gabriel College but lost to strong title contender Foundation University (FU) of Dumaguete later in the day.