Ateneo tossers advance to semis

DASMARIÑAS, Cavite , Philippines – Ateneo’s Sharah So and her new partner Khryzette Onishi bounced back from a loss to a pair of hotshots from Philippine Christian University-Dasmariñas with two consecutive wins to advance to the semifinals of the 2010 Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Tournament first leg at the sand courts of the De La Salle-Health Sciences Institute here.      

Their efforts allowed them to join schoolmates Asia Urquico and Jessica Morada in the battle for the top honors of this volleyball extravaganza backed by Petron with support from Mikasa and Speedo.

So and Onishi, who finished Group B with a 3-1 record, first fought off University of the East pair Aimee de la Peña and Francesca Crescini, 21-10, before turning back Philippine Women’s University’s Suzanne Navarro and Lucille Pael, 21-10, to claim the second semis berth and arrange crossover showdown with Urquico and Morada.

A 13-21 setback from the powerhouse pair of PCU-Dasmariñas spikers Ana Alicia Adolfo and Alyanna Marie Gorospe had earlier almost put So and Onishi out of contention.

Gorospe and Adolfo came short of sweeping Group B after absorbing a 13-21 loss at the hands of San Beda-Alabang’s Joan Castillo and Jaymee Yap. But they still made it to the semis with the same 3-1 slate with So and Onishi.

University of the East campaigners Mary Ann Balmaceda and Jessica Paron led Group A despite sharing a 3-1 slate with the tandem of Urquico and Morada, and San Beda-Alabang’s Nicole de la Cruz and Ana Carissa Villablanca.

But the Lady Warriors managed to earn the second semis slot on a better tiebreak record, via their 21-16 win over Cruz and Villablanca.

Urquico and Morada will now fight So and Onishi, a communications technology sophomore, for the first championship seat, while Balmaceda and Paron seek the other championship berth against Gorospe and Adolfo.

The 18-year-old So and Onishi got the break they needed when they quickly raced to a 10-4 advantage against Navarro and Pael.

“Malakas sila kapag naka-setup sila. But we were able to cover all side and kept them from sending their shots to the backline,” said So, an information design sophomore.

The champion and the runner-up of the first leg automatically earn slots to the Petron Ladies Volleyball Battle of the Champions at year’s end.