In a battle won by the team that simply packed more strength, San Sebastian College wore down 2002 champion San Jose Recoletos, 16-21, 21-15, 15-13, last night to win the men’s title of the seventh Nestea Beach Volley University Championships here.
Orlando Malazzab and Reffy Mosuela both jumped into the air and pumped their fists toward the huge, sun-burned crowd after scoring the winning point and thus sealing their victory worth a whopping P100,000.
On the other side of the court, Norvie Labuga and Jerome Capada both lay on the sand, suffering from severe cramps, which they had to endure since the start of the deciding set. Labuga was writhing in pain while being attended to by tournament marshals.
"We take our hats off to them for playing despite the cramps. Pareho na kasi silang may cramps," said Mosuela, who had to quit the RP volleyball team just to compete in this sizzling summer event featuring the country’s best school players.
"He was asked to choose between the national team and this beach volleyball event. And he chose to be here," said a tournament official of the San Sebastian spiker who even got a little more when he was named MVP.
The men’s final came after Labuga and Capada seemed to have spent all their energy beating Kent Lumabon and Ray Catipay of top seed and 2002 runner-up Foundation University, 21-13, 14-21, 14-16, earlier in the day. San Sebastian tripped CCP in the other semi, 21-11, 21-19.
In the women’s side, Southwestern University showed greater poise, subduing Foundation University in another three-set thriller, 21-17, 19-21, 14-16. Florian Gutierrez and Janeth Ponte also took home P100,000.
"Secret," they both said when asked how they plan to spend the money.
The glorious sun had already set and the men’s final was just halfway through. Darkness setting in forced organizers to call a 10-minute break and install additional lighting on the sand court surrounded by a huge Sunday crowd to cheer the players on.