Letran’s Gia Maquilang and Lara Mae Silva outlasted San Beda’s Angel Mae Habacon and Reyanna Cañete, 21-17, 21-10, in one of the afternoon matches on Friday, Jan. 27, and claimed the first Final Four seat in NCAA Season 99 women’s beach volleyball in Subic Bay.
The win was the defending champions’ seventh straight and two more wins against University of Perpetual Help and Emilio Aguinaldo College would complete an amazing sweep of the elims.
But Maguilang and Silva would only need just one win to clinch a twice-to-beat advantage in the playoff round.
For Habacon and Cañete, they absorbed their first defeat after six straight wins and fell to No. 2.
EAC’s Cathrine Almazan and Christine Joy Cordial caught up with UPHSD’s Mary Rhose Dapol and Krisha Cordero at No. 3 with similar 5-2 records after the former trounced the latter, 14-21, 21-18, 15-11.
In the men’s division, reigning titleist UPHSD’s Louie Ramirez and Jefferson Marapoc flattened EAC’s Bhim Lawrence Diones and Ervin Patrick Osabel, 21-12, 21-14, for a 6-1 record, a win enough to earn them a Final Four berth.
College of St. Benilde, Mapua and Arellano U dumped their respective foes to forge a three-way logjam at No. 2 with similar 5-2 records that made the race Final Four race more exciting.
