RP bets face off in beach volleyball

BACOLOD — Two RP teams meet in one of the featured matches in women’s beach volleyball today as Fil-Ams Heidi Ilustre and Diane Pascua take on locals Michelle Laborte and Cecille Tabuena as action resumes in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games at the University of St. La Salle ballfield here.

But while the RP Team-2 of Ilustre and Pascua sustained its drive for the gold with four straight victories, Laborte and Tabuena of RP Team-1 continue to flounder with successive setbacks, including an 11-21, 16-21 loss to Indonesians Ni Putu Timy Yudhani Rahayu yesterday.

In contrast, Ilustre and Pascua stamped their class against the Malaysian pair of Lim Poh Hong and Iswari Manokharan, whom they beat, 21-13 and 21-15.  

The other Fil-Am team of Chad Mowrey and Justin Schnor absorbed their second defeat, this time to Vietnamese Pham Ba Chung and Cao Bao Quoc, 17-21, 11-21 in a 29-minute match.

Meanwhile, the Philippine men’s teams battle their Thai counterparts in the quarterfinals today.

Mowrey and Schnor face Sonthi Bunrueang and Borworn Yungtin while Parley Tupaz and Rhovyl Verayo of RP Team-1 clash with Thawip Thongkamnerd and Apichart Bualuang. — Antonieta Lopez