Visayan teams run show

Visayan teams emerged kings of the sand as Foundation University of Dumaguete and University of San Jose de Recoletos outshone their Big City counterparts in the quarterfinal round yesterday to barge into the semifinals of the Nestea Beach Volleyball University Challenge at the CCP Complex.

Foundation University of Dumaguete and University of San Jose de Recoletos-Cebu each sent two teams in the semifinals, which is to be played from April 21-22 in plush Boracay.

Relying on a high-powered net game, Foundation 1’s Edward Balbuena and Isidro Bongcasan scuttled Mapua Institute of Technology’s Alberto Alano and Ely Collado, 15-6, for the first semis seat while USJR-Cebu 2’s Norvie Labuga and Dave Arreza downed San Sebastian College’s Raffy Mosuela and Orlando Malazab, 15-10, to sweep their quarterfinal matches.

Joining Balbuena and Bongcasan in the next round were teammates Ralph Mingueto and Kent Bulabon of Foundation 2, who also had a taste of Alano and Collado following another 15-6 triumph.

Team 1’s Jamal Macasamat and Jerome Capada, on the other hand, made it two in a row for USJR-Cebu after the two mowed down SSC’s Mosuela and Malazaba, 15-5, to accompany Team’s 2 Labuga, Macasamat’s partner in a second place finish last year, and Arreza in the semis.

On the distaff side, San Sebastian kept its title-retention hopes alive as it swept its matches yesterday, the last coming at the expense of Foundation 1 with a lopsided 15-2 win.

But the biggest booster for SSC’s Jennifer Buhawe and Sheryl Tumayao was their 15-5 win over Maricel Gitgit and Marie Cherrie Montalbo of University of San Carlos-Cebu, the pair who beat them (12-11) in Thursday’s Group 3 qualifying round.

Also sweeping its matches was University of St. La Salle-Bacolod’s Cecille Tabuento, half of the team which placed third in the 2000 staging, and Glenda Pintolo, who trounced Southwestern University-Cebu’s Janeth Ponte and Kenneth Cinco, 15-9.

But SWU-Cebu quickly got back to its feet as it clinched the last semis berth in the women’s side with a 15-5 win over De La Salle University’s Demelle Chua and Sheryl Magallanes, 15-5.

Foundation’s women’s squad of Rolyn Marcquicias and Melanie Eralon also booked a seat to Boracay with a 15-2 trampling of Adamson University’s Pine Etrada and Ailane Quina. – Joey Villar