Tigresses seize outright finals berth, claw Lady Falcons in UAAP beach volley

MANILA, Philippines – University of Santo Tomas overcame its biggest test in the UAAP Season 77 beach volleyball tournament as the Tigresses' Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera nipped Adamson University's Amanda Villanueva and Marleen Cortel, 21-13, 17-21, 16-14, to punch the outright Finals berth Sunday at the UE Caloocan sand court.

The defending champion Lady Falcons were on the cusp of forcing a Final Four after reaching the matchpoint, 14-13, when Rondina took charge.

With her timely well-placed shots at the net, the 17-year old Rondina delivered as UST scored the last three points of the match to clinch the match.

By sweeping the seven-game eliminations, the Tigresses marched to the title round for the fourth straight season armed with the thrice-to-beat incentive.

"Kahit bumaba ang laro namin, naniwala pa rin kami sa isa't isa dahil alam namin kaya namin ang kalaban," said Rondina, a product Compostela National High School in Cebu. "Binantayan namin sa Adamson yung long ball at yung baon nila sa bola."

De La Salle, meanwhile, clinched the twice-to-beat incentive in the stepladder semifinals as Kim Fajardo and Cyd Demecillo crushed Michelle Morente and Jhoana Maraguinot of Ateneo, 21-14, 21-13.

The Lady Spikers, still looking for their first-ever title since the event started in 2007, wound up second with a 6-1 card.

Far Eastern University's Bernadette Pons and Charm Simborio downed University of the Philippines, 21-17, 21-15, while National University's Jaja Santiago and Fatima General defeated University of the East, 21-15, 21-11, to round up the eliminations.

All tied at 4-3, the Lady Tamaraws clinched the No. 3 seed in the semifinals by virtue of superior quotient over the Lady Falcons and the Lady Bulldogs. Adamson beat NU, 21-12, 21-18, later in a playoff for the remaining semis berth.

In the men's division, reigning titlist NU foiled UST's bid for an outright passage to the Finals as Edwin Tolentino and Josephnry Tipay turned back Mark Alfafara and Kris Roy Guzman, 21-18, 21-17.

Adamson then forged a three-way tie in first place at 6-1 with a 21-14, 21-19 win over UP.

Despite the loss, the Growling Tigers bagged the No. 1 seed and the twice-to-beat bonus in the Final Four by virtue of a higher quotient than the Falcons and the Bulldogs, who will slug it out for the remaining semifinals incentive.

FEU booked the last Final Four ticket with a 21-15, 21-11 win over Ateneo.