Manila college, local spikers clinch Puerto Princesa volley semis

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, April 27 –CITY College of Manila (CCM) and homegrown bets barged into the semifinals of the 2009 Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Tournament’s second leg held at the Baywalk’s sand court in barangay San Isidro this city.

They joined favorites from the University of the Philippines in the crossover phase of the tournament held at the city’s Baywalk, the latest Puerto Princesa attraction which has risen from the ruins of a fire that razed hundreds of squatters’ homes almost four years ago.

Diana Ross Distajo and Renelyn Perez of CCM, together with locals Ma. Crisalve Javarez and Pam Ibanes, stunned the powerhouse field and made it to the crossover semifinals with 3-1 records. They will vie against the top-seeded pairs of Maan Panganiban and Jed Montero and Southlyn Ramos and Pau Genido, all from the state university.

Distajo, a veteran of the Petron circuit, and Perez, crushed the challenge of Feati’s Juneilrin Reyes and Rocelia Moraga, 21-11, for their third victory that clinched for them a seat to the next round of the volleyball extravaganza, backed by Petron, Speedo, Mikasa and the city of Puerto Princesa, headed by Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn.

“We just used our veteran smarts to fend off their challenge. I thought we were more coherent inside, having played here (Petron tournament) for four years already,” said Distajo, a participant of the circuit since 2005.

With Hagedorn promising huge incentives to the local players and cheering them at the sidelines with vice mayor Lucilo Bayron and city information officer Al Roben Goh, Javarez and Ibanes made history as the first volleybelles from the city to have reached the semifinals following their pulsating 21-17 win over the La Salle-Dasmarinas pair of Rizza del Rosario and Sheila Mae Nanquil.

The win gave the team a 3-1 slate, the same record of UPís Ramos and Genido, who stormed to their third win in four matches after whipping their schoolmates Lorraine Chua and Amanda Isada (21-15), daughter of rally cross legend Vip Isada.

Crowd favorites Panganiban, a pretty DJ of the Mellow Touch (94.7) radio station, and Montero, who resembles Brazilian volleyball great Leila Barros, bulldozed their way to the semifinals with four straight wins in as many games, including a 21-14 shellacking of Philippine Christian University-Dasmaís Maedel Mendoza and Verna Ymbong.

Panganiban and Montero were to face Puerto Princesaís Javarez and Ibanes in a best-of-three semifinal affair.

The other semis pairing pits Ramos and Genido with Distajo and Perez in the volley fest that was part of this city’s Pangalipay (Kasiyahan) sa Baybay celebration.

Winners of the semifinals will advance into another best-of-three championship affair, while automatically clinching slots to the Battle of the Champions in October, also in Puerto Princesa. (PNA) LOR/AVJR/utb

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