La Salle’s Michelle Morente and Tin Tiamzon outlasted University of the Philippines’ Isa Molde and Justine Dorog, 21-16, 24-26, 15-9, in the semis and earned the right to face University of Santo Tomas’ Sisi Rondina and Babylove Barbon in today’s final of the UAAP Season 81 beach volleyball championship at Sands SM By The Bay.
The best-of-three series opener is set at 9 a.m., with the Tigresses, who achieved a third consecutive elimination round sweep, determined to become the first team to win a three-peat.
“Siyempre, bonus na yung legacy. Ang gusto ko lang eh maibigay ang korona sa UST. Sobrang kalma na ako diyan,” said Rondina. “Malaking tulong talaga sa akin ang UST. Feeling ko ayoko nang umalis. Pero, matatapos at matatapos talaga.”
Gunning for a record sixth crown, UST has actually won a record 17 consecutive matches – a new league mark – dating back from the Season 79 Finals.
All eyes will be on Rondina, who hope to end her checkered collegiate career in the sand court in a blaze of glory.
The Lady Spikers are making their first Finals appearance since 2015 – when the Taft-based spikers, behind Kim Fajardo and Cyd Demecillo won their only beach volleyball crown. On that year, the Tigresses failed to make it to the podium – the only time that Rondina missed a championship.
In the men’s championship, UST’s Krung Arbasto and Jaron Requinton will face off with the undefeated Far Eastern University duo of Jude Garcia and Kevin Hadlocon for the title, also a best-of-three affair, at 8 a.m.
Arbasto and Requinton, the second-ranked team in the elims, dethroned National University’s Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad, 24-22, 21-15, in the second step-ladder.
