NU’s Kly Orillaneda tries to score during the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Candon City leg Finals. BVR PHOTO
National University’s Kly Orillaneda and Kathrina Epa pulled off a thrilling 21-17, 17-21, 15-11 victory over Bacolod’s Bianca Lizares and Honey Grace Cordero to complete a six-match sweep and capture the title in the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Candon City leg Sunday at Darapidap Beach.
It was Orillaneda and Epa’s first BVR on Tour crown as a pair.
Bacolod took a 9-6 third set advantage after a Cordero kill, but NU stormed back and grabbed a 11-10 lead after Lizares was whistled with a double contact violation.
Lizares’ hit forced the match’s last deadlock at 11-11, before Epa’s back-to-back kills opened NU’s 4-0 finishing run.
Orillaneda’s previous best finish in the BVR on Tour was in the 2018 December Open when she and Roma Joy Doromal placed second behind Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan. Epa, meanwhile, made her debut in 2019.
On their way to the championship, Orillaneda and Epa swept Pool C, maing short work of Ateneo 1’s Gena Hora and Yumi Furukawa, 21-17, 21-13, in the quarterfinals and Ateneo 2’s Jana Cane and Liz Lomocso, 21-17, 21-13, in the semis.
Meanwhile, this was the best finish for Lizares, the 5-foot-7 BVR regular who started competing on the tour in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island in March 2018 with Jennifer Cosas as her partner. Cordero, on the other hand, is a BVR on Tour debutant.
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In the men’s division, Harbor Pilot’s Ranran Abdilla and Rancel Varga downed NU’s Pol Salvador and Alex Iraya, 21-13, 21-10, to complete a perfect 5-0 campaign.
After dropping the opening set, Bacolod raced to a 14-7 second set lead and never looked back to force a decider.
West V’s Tan and Cosas defeated Ateneo 2’s Cane and Lomocso, 21-14, 21-19, to secure the bronze medal, and rebound from an 11-21, 21-17, 10-15 semis loss to Bacolod’s Lizares and Cordero.
Abdilla has won his fifth BVR on Tour title, while Varga earned his third gold.
Milktea Network, starring Chye Tan and Alex Ramos, placed third, highlighted by a stunning 16-21, 23-21, 15-12 win over DLSU’s Vince Maglinao and Andre Espejo.
Ateneo’s Jian Salarzon and Amil Pacinio settled for fourth spot after bowing to NU’s Salvador and Iraya, 18-21, 17-21.