Gervacio, Tan cap BVR season with gold medal

Champions Bea Tan (second from left) and Dzi Gervacio (third from left) receive their prize during the awards ceremonies.

Banko-Perlas 1’s Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan pulled off a dominant 21-8, 21-18 victory over National University-Boysen’s Roma Doromal and Kly Orillaneda to claim the women’s championship of the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour December Open 2018: A Christmas Rally early this month at The Sands SM By The Bay.

Air Force finally captured a men’s title as Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez bested Cignal’s Fauzi Ismail and Edmar Bonono, 21-17, 21-18.

The spotlight also went to sports superstars Alyssa Valdez and Kiefer Ravena, who came from behind to defeat beach volleyball poster girl Charo Soriano and fan favorite John Vic de Guzman, 23-21, in a celebrity match whose proceeds will go to Mindanao State University-Marawi College of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Academy.

Team Idol, composed of Philippine beach volleyball legends Rhovyl Verayo, Jasper Jimenez, Jun Gallo and guest player Mike Shavrak, hurdled Team Lodi’s Ravena, De Guzman, Sue Roces and Philip Bagalay, 21-17, in another exhibition match to spice up the final day of competitions.

Undefeated in five matches, Gervacio and Tan ended the Cinderella run of Doromal and Orillaneda, who needed two do-or-die matches to make it to the final.

University of Santo Tomas-Maynilad’s Babylove Barbon and Gen Eslapor rallied from a set down to beat Creamline’s Fille Cayetano and Kyla Atienza, 17-21, 21-12, 15-8, to bag third place, duplicating their achievement in Dumaguete City last month.

Tiger Winx’s KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto outlasted UST-Maynilad’s Rancel Varga and Efraim Dimaculangan, 21-14, 21-12, to clinch the bronze.