INQUIRER Sports

Defending champion Catmon earned the top seed in bracket A of this weekend?s women?s semifinal round after nailing its fifth straight win yesterday in the provincial cluster of the 2009 Governor Gwen Garcia Unity Volleyball Cup, at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

Catmon, bannered by several stalwarts from the Pajo National High School Vipers and the University of San Carlos Spiking Warriors , routed Boljoon in straight sets, 25-8, 25-11, to up their record to 5-0.

Pajo aces Athena and Christy Sucalit and Catherine Marquez combined forces with USC?s Jeremie Montalvo and Metosheena Bate to overpower their opponents. They will face the second-seeded team in bracket B.

Minglanilla, meanwhile, solidified its hold of second place in bracket A with a, 3-1 card after routing Compostela, 25-20, 25-7. Before yesterday?s match-up, the two squads were tied at second place with identical 2-1 records.

Meanwhile, last year?s runner-up Liloan, claimed the top seed in bracket B after scoring its fourth victory in as many games with a, 25-15, 25-22 bashing of Badian. In other women?s games, Boljoon won via default over Daanbantayan while Barili tripped Sogod, 25-22, 25-22.

In the men?s division, Moalboal tied Liloan for the top seed in bracket A after edging Dumanjug, 26-24, 27-25. In the second set, Moalboal rallied from a 20-24 deficit by winning seven of the last eight points.

In bracket B, Minglanlla upped its record to 3-0 after beating Compostela, 25-18, 25-18. The other winners were Daanbantayan, which beat Dalaguete, 25-18, 25-22 and Sta. Fe, which nipped Carmen in three sets, 18-25, 25-18, 25-21.

The winners this Saturday in the provincial and city clusters will march to the championship games on Sunday where the champions will get P100,000.