NATIONAL University’s Honey Grace Cordero and Kly Orillaneda overcame a tough second set stand by Far Eastern University’s Melody Pons and Gerzel Petallo to hack out a 21-12, 21-19 win and move closer in sweeping the UAAP Season 86 women’s beach volleyball eliminations at Sands SM By The Bay Friday.
Cordero and Orillaneda displayed tremendous poise in the second set to foil Pons and Petallo’s bid to extend the match, steering the Lady Bulldogs to a perfect 6-0 record.
The Lady Tamaraws, who will make their first Final Four appearance since 2019, saw their unbeaten five-match streak come to an end.
Defending champion University of Santo Tomas, which will face NU in a rematch of last season’s Finals at 7 a.m. Saturday, moved in a tie with FEU in second place at 5-1 after Sofiah Pagara and Gen Eslapor overpowered University of the East’s Van Bangayan and Krisha Revilla, 21-17, 21-12.
The Tiger Sands and the Lady Bulldogs, who have yet to yield a set in the tournament, have nothing to play in the elims finale except for the ranking.
The Lady Tamaraws started the day with a narrow 22-24, 21-11, 16-14 over University of the Philippines’ Euri Eslapor and Irah Jaboneta.
UP rebounded from its heartbreaking loss to FEU with a 21-9, 21-9 win over Adamson University’s Ishie Lalongisip and Red Bascon in the afternoon session to improve to 3-3 in fourth place.
Ateneo kept its hopes for the remaining Final Four alive as Roma Mae Doromal and Gena Hora downed De La Salle’s Sophia Sindayen and Gilliana Torres, 21-12, 21-15.
The fifth-running Blue Eagles move to 2-4, a game behind the Fighting Maroons.
UP will secure the No. 4 spot if it beats De La Salle at 7:45 a.m. on Saturday.
For the Blue Eagles to force a playoff for the last semis slot, Doromal and Hora need to beat the Lady Warriors at 9:15 a.m., coupled with a Fighting Maroons defeat to the Lady Spikers.
Sindayen and Gilliana Torres gave La Salle its first win after outlasting Lalongisip and Bascon, 15-21, 21-16, 15-12.
The Lady Falcons, the Lady Warriors, and the Lady Spikers have similar 1-5 records.
