NCAA champ sets sights on Nestea title

Barely a month after winning the NCAA beach volley title, the women’s team from Letran now has plans of winning the Nestea crown, too.

Signifying their strong intention, Cathlea Villaluz and Genelyn Alemania played well as a team as Letran stopped Adamson yesterday, 21-16, and secured a place in the Luzon quarterfinals of the Nestea Beach Volley 2004.

The terrible heat that blanketed the Rockwell Center sand court did not stop Villaluz and Alemania from posting their third victory in as many games. A victory today will send them to Boracay for the semis and finals of the sizzling Nestea event April 14-16.

"It’s always nice to be in Boracay and have a shot at the crown," said the 19-year-old Alemania following the victory that came a day after she and her partner won their first two matches.

With a different pairing, Letran placed fourth in Boracay in 2002 and fifth last year, but started the new year right when Alemania and Villaluz won the NCAA beach volley crown at the expense of San Sebastian earlier this month.

Southwestern University in Cebu is the reigning women’s champion of Nestea beach volley.

Letran defeated Philippine Normal University, 21-12, and Lyceum, 21-11, in last Friday’s opener and flexed just enough muscle to beat the Adamson pair of Kristine Ann Dave and Hannah Suarez.

Adamson took its first loss in three games but still has a very good chance of making the quarterfinals.

"This 3-0 record will mean nothing if we lose in tomorrow’s quarterfinals. We have to give it our best," added Alemania, referring to the quarterfinals this afternoon where the top eight among 16 teams will figure in a knockout affair (1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6 and 4 vs 5).

Also posting 3-0 records and securing berths in the quarterfinals were University of Baguio, a 21-15 winner over San Sebastian Cavite, and St. Benilde, a 21-17 winner over Philippine Christian University Manila.

With three quarterfinal berths in the women’s side secured, the hunt for the five others resumes this morning with at least seven teams joining the fray in this eight-year-old event sponsored by Speedo, Cebu Pacific, Mikasa, Coppertone, Shakey’s, SMART, Power Plant Mall, Ayala Center in Cebu and TGI Friday’s.

In the men’s division, the quarterfinals race is a tossup with no team being assured of a slot as of presstime yesterday.

Six teams, including reigning men’s Nestea champion San Sebastian, are sporting 2-0 records with four others carrying even 1-1 slates. As it is, only a 3-0 record will assure a team of a quarterfinals berth in the men’s side.

Aside from SSC Manila, the other unbeaten teams are La Salle, FEU, UP, St. Benilde and PATTS Aeronautical School. They all won their matches yesterday and will need the same level of intensity for today’s schedule.

The top four men’s and women’s teams from Luzon will be joined in Boracay by the same number of representatives from the Visayas and Mindanao which hold their eliminations on March 12 to 14 at the sprawling Ayala Center in Cebu.