SIPALAY City – University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses’ Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella completed a perfect run in the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Sipalay leg women’s division of the on Sunday at the Poblacion Beach here in Negros Occidental.
Pagara and Progella made short work of the Negrense Honey Grace Cordero and Kat Epa of National University Lady Bulldogs, 21-18, 21-13, as the Golden Tigresses went undefeated in four matches.
Except for a part of the first set where the Lady Bulldogs turned a 0-5 deficit into a slim 16-15 advantage, it was an all-Golden Tigresses show to repeat over their UAAP-based foe.
The Golden Tigresses, the reigning UAAP women’s beach volleyball tournament champion, defeated the Lady Bulldogs in three sets in the elimination round on Saturday.
In the semifinal round, Pagara and Progella upended Strong Group Athletics’ Gen Eslapor and Euri Eslapor, 21-17, 21-16, while Cordero and Epa prevailed over Pontevedra’s Erjane Magdato and Perper Cosas, 18-21, 21-14, 15-7.
Magdato and Cosas later defeated the Eslapor sisters 28-26, 21-19, 15-13 to secure the bronze medal finish in the distaff side.
In the men’s division, Alas Pilipinas Men’s Beach Volleyball Team A of Ranran Abdilla and AJ Pareja fell short of winning crown after losing to New South Wales Phoenix of Australia of Killian Donovan and Jett Graham, 21-13, 17-21, 15-12.
After dropping the opening set, Abdilla anchored Alas Pilipinas A’s strong performance in the second set for a 21-17 victory, forcing a deciding third frame.
Australia surged ahead early in the third set, but Alas Pilipinas A responded with a run to cut the deficit to 12-13 before Donovan and Graham scored the last two points for the visiting team.
Donovan and Graham overpowered Cebu’s Samlet Booc and Micael Marabe, 21-10, 21-8, in the semifinal round, while Abdilla and Pareja made quick work of UST’s Aldwin Gupiteo and Dominique Gabito, 21-15, 21-11.
Gupiteo and Gabito reached the podium on the men’s side by sweeping Booc and Marabe, 21-13, 21-15./PN
