Brazilian pair Bruna Figueiredo and Mimi Amaral, Americans Chara Harris and Jennifer Snyder, Kiwis Julia Tilley and Alice Bain, and BVR founder Alexa Micek and her American partner Leah Hinkey are the last teams standing in the 2016 Beach Volleyball Republic Invitational held at the Anguib Beach in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
Topping Pool A yesterday, Amaral and Figuereido plowed through locals Charo Soriano and Bea Tan, 21-13, 21-9, then made quick work of Tilley and Bain, 21-11, 21-8. Pool B top seeds Snyder and Harris swept Pinays Jenifer Cosas and Dij Rodriguez, 21-15, 21-14 before squeezing past Micek and Hinkey, 21-19, 21-16.
Both top seeds will square-off tomorrow for the first Finals seat. The loser still has chance to make the Finals, facing the team that makes it through the grueling loser’s bracket.
The Kiwis together with Micek and Hinkey dug themselves out of the loser’s bracket and only have each other standing in the way of a shot at the Finals.
After losing to the Brazilians in their second crossover match, Tilley and Bain recovered with a rousing 21-17, 21-18 victory over Thai-American tandem Yupa Phokongploy and Rachel Sherman, eliminating the latter.
Micek and Hinkie crawled out of Pool D and took their first two crossover matches – a 21-10, 21-12 win over Singaporeans Tan Shieng Theng and Ong Wei Yu and a 21-19, 21-17 Yupa and Sherman. They then lost to their fellow Americans in the aforementioned match before getting back on track with a 21-13, 21-17 victory over Hong Kong pair Kong Cheuk Yee and To Wing Tung to set their matchup with the Kiwis.
The champion will come away 6,000 USD, the runner-up 4,500 USD, the third-placers 3,500 USD, and the fourth-placers 2,500 USD.
Soriano and Tan, Cosas and Rodriguez, Yupa and Sherman, and Yee and Tung all finished in joint fifth, earning 1,500 USD per pair.
Singaporeans Tan Shieng Theng and Ong Wei Yu, and Rachel Lau Yee Ting and Eliza Chung Hui Hui, Hong Kong tandem Lo Wai Yan and Yeung Yuk Mei, and Brazilians Rupia Inck and Erica Adachi all settled for joint ninth each bringing home 1,000 USD.
Before the matches resume tomorrow, BVR will be holding a sand-roots program, teaching and spreading their love for beach volleyball to local kids.
2016 Beach Volleyball Republic Invitational Tournament Day 2 results
June 10, 2016 – Anguib Beach, Sta. Ana, Cagayan
Cosas/Rodriguez def. Yan/Mei 21-16, 23-21
Yee/Tung def. Rachel/Eliza 21-15, 21-8
Micek/Hinkey def. Theng/Yu 21-10, 21-12
Tilley/Bain def. Yan/Mei 21-13, 21-14
Soriano/Tan def. Adachi/Inck 11-21, 21-16, 15-8
Micek/Hinkey def. Yupa/Sherman 21-19, 21-17
Snyder/Harris def. Cosas/Rodriguez 21-15, 21-14
Soriano/Tan def. Theng Yu 18-21, 21-17, 15-12
Figueruiedo/Amaral def. Tilley/Bain 21-11, 21-18
Yupa/Sheeman def. Adachi/Inck 21-11, 21-18
Snyder/Harris def. Micek/Hinkey 21-19, 21-16
Cosas/Rodriguez def. Rachel/Eliza 21-9, 21-11
Yee/Tung def. Soriano/Tan 21-10, 21-18
Yupa/Sherman def. Cosas/Rodriguez 21-10, 21-19
Micek/Hinkey def. Yee/Tung 21-13, 21-17
Tilley/Bain def. Yupa/Sherman 21-17, 21-18
