Pangasinan-2 bets enter Petron volleyball semis

MANILA, Philippines - Melanie Carrera and Cassandra Lleda of Pangasinan-2 bounced back from a loss with a pair of victories to advance to the semis in the Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions in Lingayen, Pangasinan yesterday.

The duo thwarted La Salle-Dasmariñas’ Iari Yongco and Giselle Bembo, 24-22, then crushed Mapua’s Bianca Reyes and Mabelle Lau, 21-14, to remain in the title hunt with a 3-1 slate in Group A.

Others who advanced were Rizal Technological University bets Jessa Aranda and rookie Jonafer San Pedro, who swept their four-game assignment in the same bracket of the event backed by Speedo, Mikasa, media partner Business Mirror, the province of Pangasinan through Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (second district).

Carrera and Lleda will face off with Pangasinan-1’s Jennifer Manzano and Cindy Benitez for a berth in the championship while the RTU bets will meet University of the East-1’s Kryssel Cueva and last year’s Battle of Champions winner Francislyn Cais for the other finals slot.

Cueva and Cais shrugged off a 13-21 setback with two big wins to clinch the second Group B semis berth with a 3-1 slate.

The 24-year-old Manzano, from Binalonan, and the Guisang-based Benitez, capped their four-game sweep of Group B with a 21-17 win over Emilio Aguinaldo College bets Donna Factor and Lourdes Patilano.

Aranda and San Pedro, who earlier beat Carrera and Lleda, ended the elims with a 21-11 romp over Mapua’s Lau and Reyes, and a 21-7 thumping of UE-2’s Leuseth Dawis and Ashlee Razon.