MANILA – Negrense Honey Grace Cordero continued her solid rookie season for the National University Lady Bulldogs as they reached the finals of the UAAP Season 85 women’s beach volleyball on Sunday at the Sands SM By The Bay in Pasay City.
The Silay City, Negros Occidental-native Cordero teamed up with Kly Orillaneda as they defeated De La Salle University Lady Spikers’ Justine Jazareno and Jolina dela Cruz in the semifinals, 21-17, 21-14.
Prior to that, the Cordero-Orillaneda Lady Bulldogs tandem won six of their seven preliminary round matches with their lone loss against University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses’ Babylove Barbon and Gen Eslapor.
However, the road to first-ever UAAP women’s beach volley title won’t be easy for the Lady Bulldogs as they will face the Golden Tigresses, which has yet to drop a set this season and won 36 consecutive matches dating back from 2016.
The Golden Tigresses pair of Barbon and Eslapor moved on the cusp of a record eighth women’s crown after defeating Negrense Alyssa Bertolano and Euri Eslapor of University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the other semis, 21-16, 21-6.
Cordero was recruited by the Lady Bulldogs to their women’s beach volleyball team during the summer after her solid stint with the Naga College Foundation Inc. Lady Tigers’ indoor and beach volleyball squad.
Meanwhile, Negrense Melody Pons and Gerzel Petallo of Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws ended the season with a 21-11, 21-8 romp of Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles’ Pia Ildefonso and Ysa Nisperos. FEU ended up in fifth place with a 3-4 card.
In the men’s beach volleyball, four-peat seeking UST Tiger Spikers and NU Bulldogs arranged a finals rematch after beating their respective semifinals foes on Sunday morning.
UST’s Jaron Requinton and reigning MVP Rancel Varga scored a 21-11, 21-15 victory over Negrense Jian Matthew Salarzon and Amil Pacinio of the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles.
Bulldogs’ James Buytrago and Pol Salvador, on the other hand, pulled off a 21-16, 21-17 win over Far Eastern University Tamaraws’ Vincent Nadera and Jelord Talisayan. The men’s and women’s beach volley finale are slated on Tuesday at the same venue./PN
