MANILA, Philippines - University of Santo Tomas and Adamson University beat their respective rivals to remain tied for the lead with three victories in the UAAP Season 76 women’s beach volleyball tournament at the UE-Caloocan sand court over the weekend.
Reigning MVP Maru Banaticla and Pam Lastimosa of defending champion UST pounced on unforced errors of the University of the Philippines pair of Aliyah Ong and Hannah Rebecca Mangulabnan to fashion out a 21-13, 21-18 win.
The Lady Falcons’ Shiela Pineda and Amanda Villanueva, on the other hand, rallied from a set down to post a hard-earned 16-21, 22-20, 15-11 victory over De La Salle’s Kim Fajardo and Cienne Cruz.
University of the East and Ateneo stayed behind the joint leaders with 2-0 cards with the Lady Warriors’ Krysel Cueva and Jessica Paron hacking out a 21-17, 13-21,15-12 win over National University’s Mina Aganon and Rizza Mandapat, and the Lady Eagles’ Alyssa Valdez and Bea Tan turning back Far Eastern University’s Bernadeth Pons and Kyla Atienza, 21-9,15-21,15-10. Atienza, a reserve player, replaced Sam Dawson in the second set because of an ankle injury.
The Lady Spikers and the Lady Maroons fell to 0-2, while the Lady Bulldogs dropped to 0-3 cards.
In the men’s division, defending champions NU, behind Josephenry Tipay and Edwin Tolentino continued its domination by whipping De La Salle’s Red Christensen and Jopet Movido, 21-17, 21-13, for a 3-0 slate.