FEU indoor spikers pace Nestea beach volley

Jessie Lopez and Joshua Alcarde, who have won back-to-back UAAP titles with FEU in men’s indoor volleyball, are also making some heads turn in beach volleyball.

The FEU pair, young and energetic, yesterday remained unbeaten in the 10th Nestea Beach Volley Championship at the La Salle Greenhills sandcourt.

Lopez, who’s turning 20 next week, and Alcarde, who turned 18 last month, went 2-0 following a 25-12 win over Lyceum’s Alfredo Montemayor and Melville Fabro.

They defeated University of Luzon the other day, 26-24, and only need to win their third match today for an automatic slot to the Boracay phase of this annual event.

Lopez, the veteran of the two, being in his third Nestea Beach Volley, is quite confident that they will make it to the semis and finals set in Boracay on May 4-6.

"It’s just a matter of communication considering that there are only two players in beach volleyball. So, one has to lead the other, and that is my responsibility," said Lopez.

"Of course we’re confident. But it’s still hard to tell. We still have to win our closing matches tomorrow to make it to Boracay," he added.

Since winning the Nestea crown in 1999, FEU has never won the Nestea crown but has had great success in indoor volleyball where it is the reigning UAAP champion.

Aside from FEU, also staying unbeaten were defending champion St. Benilde, St. Francis of Assisi and Adamson in the men’s division, and 2002 champion Adamson, University of Baguio and St. Benilde in the women’s side.

St. Benilde scored its second straight win by beating Letran, 25-21, while St. Francis defeated Philippine Christian U, 25-15, and Adamson tripped UP, 25-21.

The lady spikers from Adamson also remained unbeaten following a 25-12 win over Lyceum. Joining them on top were UB, which downed University of the Cordilleras, 25-19, and St. Benilde, which crushed St. Francis, 25-11.

With their identical slates, these teams only need to win their closing matches today to gain an automatic entry into the Boracay phase.

Faith de Guzman of St. Benilde is confident of her school’s chances, saying her three-year partnership with Janilyn Sarabia should be enough to carry them to the next round. They are the reigning NCAA beach volley champions.

"We’re more confident this time because of our experience in Boracay last year. That’s really our target — to earn a return trip to Boracay," said De Guzman.

The top four men’s and women’s teams from Luzon will be joined by the same number of entries from the Visayas and Mindanao which will hold their respective elimination rounds on March 28-30 also at La Salle Greenhills.

The tournament sponsored by Speedo, MTV, Power Shot, Hey Jude, Mikasa, Cebu Pacific, Seventeen, D-Mall Boracay, Villa de Oro Boracay, Club Ten Boracay and La Salle Greenhills offers P100,000 each to the men’s and women’s champions.

There are 36 pairs competing this year — 18 each in the men’s and women’s divisions. Sixteen of them come from Luzon, 12 from the Visayas and eight from Mindanao, each one of them hoping to make it to Boracay.