University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos alums Alexa Polidario and Erjane Magdato jumpstarted their bid for another women’s championship in Dumaguete by sweeping the pool matches to progress in the BVR On Tour: Dumaguete Open quarterfinals Friday at the Rizal Boulevard sand court.
Polidario and Magdato dominated LNMB-Negros’ Kathrina Epa and Chloe Tumpag, 21-10, 21-6, and coasted o a 21-11, 21-7 win over Air Force 1’s May Ann Pantino and Jozza Cabalsa to complete a perfect campaign in Pool A.
Vying for a third title as in many legs, Perlas’ Bea Tan and Dij Rodriguez also had a winning start in Pool B with a 21-11, 15-21, 15-4 decision over NU-Boysen’s Roma Joy and Roma Mae Doromal in a rematch of the Santa Fe, Bantayan Island Finals.
In the men’s division, Hong Kong’s Chueng Chek and Li Chun Kit led the four teams which made it to Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Chueng Chek and Li opened their title aspirations with a 21-17, 21-14 romp of Dumaguete’s Buen Sayson and Reynald Catipay.
University of St. La Salle’s Herold Parcia and Deanne Neil Depedro was the other quarterfinalist in Pool B, eliminating Sayson and Catipay in the process, 21-12, 21-19.
Also advancing to the men’s top eight are University of Santo Tomas’ Efraem Dimaculangan and Rancel Varga, and Gandang Laban-Aklan’s Raw-sa Inaudito and Nichol Jundana, who opened their campaigns with victories in three-team Pool C.
Dimaculangan and Varga bested CSA-Bacolod’s Marvin Haresco and Mike Antonio Badian, 21-16, 21-16, while Inaudito and Jundana made quick work of Haresco and Badian, 21-16, 21-19.
In other women’s matches, Hong Kong’s Yuen Ting Chi and Lok Shun topped Sipalay’s Jessalen Moises and Gellimae Villanueva, 20-22, 21-12, 15-9, Rizal Technological University’s Reyann Cañete and Sayrel Bermeo beat USLS-Bacolod’s Nohlin Jundana and Ceejay Recayo, 17-21, 23-21, 15-9, while Smash Bacolod’s Bianca Lizares and Jennifer Cosas downed Moises and Villanueva, 21-17, 21-17.
Air Force’s men’s teams also had strong starts, as Mike Abria and Jade Becaldo, reunited after winning a Boracay invitational championship six years ago, nipped Wong Ka Yun and Tse Kin Wong of Hong Kong, 21-16, 20-22, 15-9, while Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez, gunning for a third consecutive BVR title, scored a 21-19, 21-16 win over NU Boysen’s James Buytrago and Pol Salvador.
Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo attended the opening ceremonies during the afternoon session.
After the end of Saturday’s Dumaguete leg, the BVR on Tour will visit Lingayen, Pangasinan to cap a back-to-back swing on April 31-May 1, which will also serve as build-up to the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 1-Star to be held in Boracay on May 23-26.
