The RC Cola-Army A duo of Jovelyn Gonzaga and Nene Bautista secured a ticket to the quarterfinals after sweeping Meralco’s Jonafer San Pedro and April Ross Hingpit, 21-17, 21-16, in Day 2 of the Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup 2016 Saturday at the Sands SM By The Bay in Manila.
Army threatened to pull away in the first set after taking a 12-6 lead, but Hingpit and San Pedro made use of well-placed shots to pull within 2, 13-11.
The score in the opening set was still close at 18-16 but a service error by San Pedro followed by hits from Bautista allowed Army to escape, 21-17.
In the second set, San Pedro scored a hit to pull Meralco within 17-14, but Bautista once again answered with a flurry to help Army complete the sweep.
Army A topped Pool D with a 3-0 slate, while Meralco bowed out of the tournament as they only garnered one win against two losses.
Foton dominates Petron XCS
Foton’s youthful tandem of Cherry Rondina and Patty Orendain continued to roll in the tournament, scoring an impressive 21-9, 21-8 win over Petron XCS’s Bang Pineda and Aiza Maizo-Pontillas to top Pool C with a 2-0 record.
Maizo-Pontillas opened the first frame with back to back aces, but Foton answered with eight straight points to take control, 8-2. Rondina continued to rack up points off well-placed shots after that point, as Foton’s lead grew to 16-5.
Foton’s dominance continued in the second set as they completed a sweep. Petron XCS will finish with a 1-1 record in the group, good enough to advance to the quarter-finals.
F2 Logistics, Navy A stay unbeaten
In Pool B, F2 Logistics’ Aby Marano and Danika Gendrauli claimed the pole position after cruising past Standard Insurance-Navy B’s Florence Madulid and Pauline Genido, 21-13, 21-7.
Three straight aces by Gendrauli set the tone for what was an easy win for the Cargo Movers, as the team went up 16-9 in the opening set. The team continued to attack Navy B’s poor reception, and took the next set as well.
The fate Navy B suffered was the opposite of what Standard Insurance-Navy A’s Pau Soriano and Norie Jane Diaz accomplished, completing a sweep of Pool A after winning over UE’s Angelica Dacaymat and Jasmine Alcayde, 21-8, 21-11.
Like in the F2 Logistics-Navy B match, Navy A was just superior from the service line, doing damage to pull away from UE.
Navy squads star in men’s division
Action in the men’s division of the tournament also started, and Philippine Navy squads were victorious on opening day, combining for four wins.
In Pool A, Navy B’s tandem of Pajiji Alsali and Milover Parcon defeated Wayuk’s Philip Bagalay and Paul John Cuzon, 21-17, 21-13, before following it up with a 21-15, 21-15 victory over IEM’s Arjay Salcedo and Bobby Gatdula for a 2-0 record.
In Pool B, the Navy A duo of Nur-amin Madsairi and Roldan Medino weathered back-to-back three-setters to likewise top the group with a 2-0 card.
The duo edged Cignal’s Rey and Relan Taneo, 23-21, 15-21, 15-10, before surviving a gritty FEU B side represented by Greg Dolor and Rikko Marmeto, 21-14, 13-21, 15-8.
FEU A’s (Joel Cayaban and Franco Camcam) were the only other squad to tally two wins on opening day, defeating Wayuk, 21-18, 21-16, and UE, (Geric Ortega/Ruvince Abrot), 21-17, 14-21, 15-12.
Day 3 is on Sunday, May 22 and shall feature the remaining games in the elimination round of the men’s division and playoff games in the women’s division.
2016 Philippine Superliga Challenge Cup Results
May 14, 2016 – Sands by the Bay, Pasay City
Women’s Division
Foton (Cherry Rondina/Patty Orendain) def. Petron XCS (Bang Pineda/Aiza Maizo-Pontillas), 21-9, 21-8.
Standard Insurance-Navy A (Pau Soriano/Norie Jane Diaz) def. UE (Angelica Dacaymat/Jasmine Alcayde), 21-8, 21-11.
F2 Logistics (Aby Marano/Danika Gendrauli) def. Standard Insurance-Navy B (Florence Madulid/Pauline Genido), 21-13, 21-7.
RC Cola-Army A (Jovelyn Gonzaga/Nene Bautista) def. Meralco (Jonafer San Pedro/April Ross Hingpit), 21-17, 21-16.
FEU (Bernadeth Pons/Kyle Atienza) def. Cignal Team Awesome (Mary Grace Berte/Vhima Condada), 21-14, 21-15.
Men’s Division
FEU A (Joel Cayaban/Franco Camcam) def. Wayuk (Philip Bagalay/Paul John Cuzon), 21-18, 21-16.
IEM (Arjay Salcedo/Bobby Gatdula) def. UE (Geric Ortega/Ruvince Abrot), 21-19, 22-20.
Cignal (Rey Taneo/Relan Taneo) def. FEU B (Rikko Marmeto/Greg Dolor), 21-16, 21-12.
Navy B (Pajiji Alsali/Milover Parcon) def. Wayuk (Philip Bagalay/Paul John Cuzon), 21-17, 21-13.
FEU A (Joel Cayaban/Franco Camcam) def. UE (Geric Ortega/Ruvince Abrot), 21-17, 14-21, 15-12.
Navy A (Nur-amin Madsairi/Roldan Medino) def. Cignal (Rey Taneo/Relan Taneo), 23-21, 15-21, 15-10.
TVM (Kris Joy Guzman/Anthony Arbasto) def. FEU B (Greg Dolor/Rikko Marmeto), 21-16, 21-15.
Navy B (Pajiji Alsali/Milover Parcon) def. IEM (Arjay Salcedo/Bobby Gatdula), 21-15, 21-15.
Cignal (Rey Taneo/Relan Taneo) def. SM By The Bay (Daniel Young/Tim Young), 21-12, 21-14.
Navy A (Nur-amin Madsairi/Roldan Medino) def. FEU B (Greg Dolor/Rikko Marmeto), 21-14, 13-21, 15-8.
Women’s Division standings after Day 2
Pool A (W-L)
Standard Insurance-Navy A 2-0
RC Cola-Army B 1-1
UE 0-2
Pool B (W-L)
F2 Logistics 2-0
Petron Sprint 4T 1-1
Standard Insurance-Navy B 0-2
Pool C (W-L)
Foton 2-0
Petron XCS 1-1
Accel Quantum Plus 0-2
Pool D (W-L)
RC Cola-Army A 3-0
FEU 2-1
Meralco 1-2
Cignal 0-3
Qualified teams for the quarterfinals:
Standard Insurance-Navy A
RC Cola-Army B
F2 Logistics
Petron Sprint 4T
Foton
Petron XCS
RC Cola-Army A
FEU
Men’s Division standings after Day 2
Pool A (W-L)
Navy B 2-0
FEU A 2-0
IEM 1-1
Wayuk 0-2
UE 0-2
Pool B (W-L)
Navy A 2-0
TVM 1-0
Cignal 2-1
SM By The Bay 0-1
FEU B 0-3
Photos by Roman Prospero (PSL Images)
