SAN CARLOS City – Uswang Ilonggo 1 and Madekind Naturals were hailed as co-champions in the women’s division of the Beach Volleyball Republic Negros Island Tour over the weekend at the Center Mall here.
Uswag Ilonggo 1’s MJ Ebro and Honey Grace Cordero and Madekind Naturals’ Erjane Magdato and Jennifer Cosas were made as women’s co-champions because their finals game was cut short due to darkness. The match ended with both teams tied at 8-8.
“With most of the matches pushed to three sets on the final day of the tournament, the tournament officials have decided to have a double champions in women’s division due to unplayable condition,” said local sports advocate Ginggoy Valmayor.
With that, the two squads that were composed of Western Visayas-based beach volleyball players will equally split the P30,000 cash prize, according to San Carlos City Councilor PG Maisog.
Ebro and Cordero reached the finals after defeating Higad’s Therese Ramas/Bianca Lizares, 16-21, 21-10, 15-11, and Uswag Ilonggo 2’s Gelimae Villanueva and Kyla Gallego, 15-21, 23-21, 15-6.
Magdato and Cosas advanced to the finals outright after winning all their three matches while Villanueva and Gallego completed the podium finish as they secured the third place in the two-day main draw organized by the Beach Volleyball Republic.
In the men’s division, Asian Volleyballista’s Rancel Varga and Dominique Gabito took the championship after NU Boysen 1’s James Buytrago suffered serious cramps and could not play in the title match.
Buytrago and Pol Salvador, who overcame a one-set deficits to beat NU Boysen 2’s Jhon Cabatuan and Jeffer Guerrero, 12-21, 21-11, 15-10 and NOBVC’s Philip Sugaton and Peter Sugaton, 20-22, 24-22, 15-13, in the do-or-die matches prior to the championship, settled for second place.
Varga and Gabito went undefeated in four matches in the two-day tournament. They went straight to the Finals following a 21-7, 21-11 romp of the Sugatons, which finished at third place.
A total of 27 teams, 14 in the men’s division and 13 in women’s event, from the different localities in Negros Occidental, as well as from outside Negros Island participated in the local qualifier./PN
