National University booked the first Final Four berth, while Far Eastern University moved on the cusp of making a return trip to the women’s semifinals in the UAAP Season 86 beach volleyball tournament at the Sands SM By The Bay Sunday.
The Lady Bulldogs took the solo lead with a 5-0 record, as Honey Grace Cordero and Kly Orillaneda clipped Ateneo’s Roma Mae Doromal and Gena Hora, 21-16, 21-11, and University of the East’s Van Bangayan and Krisha Revilla, 21-11, 21-12.
The Lady Tamaraws remained unbeaten as Melody Pons and Gerzel Petallo used their sand court experience to the hilt to repulse De La Salle’s Sophia Sindayen and Gilliana Torres, 21-11, 21-10.
Extending its perfect run to four matches, FEU has surpassed last season’s three-win output, looking good in making a return stint to the Final Four which it last accomplished in 2019.
Defending five-time champion University of Santo Tomas kept within reach of the pacesetters as Sofiah Pagara and Gen Eslapor overpowered Adamson University’s Ishie Lalongisip and Red Bascon, 21-4, 21-10.
But Pagara and Eslapor encountered several anxious moments in beating Doromal and Hora, 21-14, 17-21, 16-14, in the afternoon session for the Tiger Sands to improve to 4-1.
University of the Philippines logged its second win in four matches as Euri Eslapor and Irah Jaboneta downed Bangayan and Revilla, 21-12, 21-9.
The Lady Falcons dropped to 1-3, while the Blue Eagles and the Lady Warriors stumbled to 1-4. The Lady Spikers, meanwhile, remained without a win in four matches.
Action resumes on Friday at 10:00 AM with six women’s matches.
