Perpetual, San Beda stay unscathed in NCAA beach volleyball

Brothers Relan and Rey Taneo, Jr. of Perpetual Help and twins Maria Jeiziela and Maria Nieza Viray of San Beda turned the Subic's Boardwalk into their playground after remaining the last unbeaten teams in the 91st NCAA beach volleyball action on Friday.

The Taneo siblings downed Mapua's Philip Michael Bagalay and Samuel Joseph Almales, 21-15, 21-19, in a duel of unbeaten teams to seize the solo lead with six wins in the men's division event backed by The Lighthouse, Bayfront Hotel, Subic Park Hotel, Moonbay Villas, LGR, Mikasa, SBMA and ABS-CBN Sports and Action.

The win moved the Taneo duo a victory away from booking a spot in the Final Four.

If the Las Pinas-based school ends up sweeping the single-round robin elimination, it will automatically advance to the finals and one triumph closer from regaining the title it lost to St. Benilde last season.

It will also turn the Final Four into a stepladder semis where the next three qualified teams battle it out in a knockout format.

The Taneos, who hail from Cebu, are gunning for their second title after the two helped Perpetual Help's indoor volleyball squad cop the men's title with shock finals victory over last year's titlist Emilio Aguinaldo College last month.

"We're just trying to enjoy ourselves and at the same time make our school, Perpetual Help, proud," said the elder Rey in Filipino.

The Virays, for their part, trounced Letran's Julia Angeles and Regielyn Cabrera, 25-23, 21-13, to likewise stay unscathed an atop the heap in the women's side with six wins.

Trailing them were San Sebastian's Gretchel Soltones and Dangie Encarnacion, the reigning back-to-back champions who racked up four wins in row to spring back to life after absorbing a painful defeat to the Virays Thursday and smashed St. Benilde's Jannine Navarro and Melanie Torres, 21-13, 21-14.

Soltones and Encarnacion thus improved to 5-1 (win-loss), which was good for joint second with their recent conquests, Navarro and Torres.

In juniors' play, Perpetual Help and defending champion Emilio Aguinaldo also stayed unbeaten by stringing together five straight wins.

Like the Altas, the Junior Altas are gunning to add the beach volley crown to the NCAA indoor volley championship they won by beating the Brigadiers also last month. (Philippine Star)

PHOTOS:

Scenes from the 91st NCAA Beach Volleyball tournament at the Subic Bay Freeport Watefront Boardwalk. (AMD, A. Macatuno)

http://www.philstar.com/sports/2016/02/12/1552327/perpetual-san-beda-stay-unscathed-ncaa-beach-volleyball