MANILA – University of Santo Tomas Tiger Sands swept their elimination round matches in the UAAP Season 87 women’s and men’s beach volleyball tournament on Sunday at Sands SM By The Bay in Pasay City.
Tiger Sands’ Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella topped the elimination round after repulsing National University Lady Bulldogs’ Honey Grace Cordero and Kat Epa, 21-16, 21-11, for a 7-0 record.
“Maganda ‘yung naging performance ng mga ito,” UST head coach Paul Doloiras said. “‘Yung execution namin ganoon pa rin. Consistent ‘yung pag-atake namin, tapos hindi kami masyado nagmamadali sa court ngayon.”
The Tiger Sands will take on Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws pair Lovely Lopez and Melody Pons in the knockout Final Four match on Tuesday morning at the same venue.
The Lady Tamaraws captured the fourth and final semifinals seat with a 21-18, 21-14 win over University of the Philippines’ Euri Eslapor and Julia de Leon. They ended the eliminations with a 4-3 record.
Adamson University Lady Falcons of rookies Shai Nitura and Fei Sagaysay prevailed over Ateneo de Manila University Lady Eagles’ Liz Lomocso and Gena Hora, 21-17, 21-16, to clinch the third set. They will battle NU in the knockout round.
In the men’s division, Dominique Gabito and Alche Gupiteo also powered the Tiger Sands to a seven-match sweep, topping NU Bulldogs’ Alex Iraya and Sky Gemarino, 21-11, 21-14.
The Bulldogs placed second with a 6-1 win-loss record and will go up against the third-ranked FEU Tamaraws’ Amet Bituin and Reynan Postorioso in the do-or-die Final Four round.
UP Fighting Maroons clinched the last Final Four berth as Angelo Lipata and Christian Pitogo shut the door on De La Salle University Green Spikers’ Andre Espejo and Von Marata, 21-11, 18-21, 15-9. They will face top-seed UST in a knockout semis game./PN
