UST Tigresses sweep UAAP beach volleyball elims, book finals berth

University of Santo Tomas continued to show its dominance in the sand after completing a resounding sweep of the eliminations and advancing to the finals of the UAAP Season 81 beach volleyball tournament Friday at Sands SM By the Bay.

The impenetrable partnership of Cherry Rondina and Babylove Barbon decimated Far Eastern University’s Ivana Agudo and Sheena Gallentes 21-9, 21-5 to complete the 7-0 sweep of the preliminaries, the third straight year the Golden Tigresses came away unscathed.

UST is attempting to become the first school in the tournament to win three straight titles while winning every set.

De La Salle’s partnership of Tin Tiamzon and Michelle Morente earned a twice-to-beat advantage in the Final Four after taking down National University’s Klymince Orillanada and Antonette Landicho, 21-13, 21-12, and University of the Philippines’ Isa Molde and Justine Dorog, 21-17, 21-14.

The Lady Spikers finished the eliminations with a 6-1 card and will wait the winner of Saturday’s first step-ladder match.

NU took the third seed with a 5-2 record after the eliminations while UP took the last Final Four spot after taking down Ateneo in the playoff.

The Lady Maroons and Lady Eagles had identical 3-4 records after the eliminations but Molde and Dorog’s partnership brought down Ateneo’s pairing of Ponggay Gaston and Jules Samonte, 21-19, 21-19.

In the men’s division, FEU’s Jude Garcia and Kevin Hadlocon brushed off Ateneo’s Kurt Aguilar and Abai Llenos, 21-3, 21-5, and secured an outright finals spot after their 7-0 sweep of the eliminations.

The Growling Tigers’ pair of Krung Arbasto and Jaron Requinton trumped defending champions Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad of NU, 30-32, 21-12, 15-13, to take the second seed, and a twice-to-beat perk, in the Final Four.

UST finished the eliminations with a 6-1 record while the Bulldogs settled for a 5-2 slate.