SUBIC BAY – Perpetual Help’s Rey, Jr. and Relan Taneo smashed last year’s titlist Sam Damian and Alfredo Pagulong of Mapua, 21-17, 21-13, to sweep their way to the men’s finals of the 92nd NCAA beach volleyball tournament at the Subic Bay sands fronting the Subic Park Hotel yesterday.
The Taneo brothers strung together nine straight wins to earn them another trip to the finals while giving them another chance of getting redemption after losing to last season’s eventual champion Mapua.
“We were blessed to have been given a chance at winning the championship, we hope to take advantage of it this time,” said Relan, a Cebuano, in Filipino.
The Las Piñas-based school awaits its finals foe, which could be among Lyceum of the Phl U, Mapua and Emilio Aguinaldo, which finished second to fourth with records of 8-1 (win-loss), 6-3 and 6-3, respectively.
Mapua and EAC will collide in a knockout showdown in the first stepladder semis and the winner will play LPU, which boasts of a twice-to-beat edge for finishing as the second seed.
Grethcel Soltones and Alyssa Eroa of San Sebastian stay on course of claiming a four-peat feat after the pair outduelled San Beda twins Maria Jeziela at Maria Nieza Viray in a fierce first set battle to hack out a 33-31, 21-14 win that completed a nine-game sweep of the elimination round and a return trip to the finals.