AS the year 2023 comes to a close, the Beach Volleyball Republic will take a rewind on the BVR on Tour legs in Sipalay and Candon City, as well as the Recharged one-day tournament in Batangas.
Harbor Pilot's Ranran Abdilla and Rancel Varga swept the two BVR legs in the men's division. In women's play, Grass to Bone's Honey Grace Cordero and Roma Joy Doromal ruled the Sipalay leg, while NU's Kly Orillaneda and Kathrina Epa took the Candon championship in a thrilling finale.
Sipalay leg
Solid as ever, Abdilla and Varga topped Toto de Pedro and Eljhay Ronquillo of Abanse Negrense, 21-15, 21-11, to log an untouchable 5-0 record without dropping a set on June 25 at the Poblacion Beach.
Cordero and Doromal also went undefeated in five women's matches after fending off Abanse Negrense's Bea Tan and Jennifer Cosas, 21-15, 21-17, in the finale.
Following up their Candon City conquest, Abdilla and Varga beat Ateneo's Amil Pacinio and Jian Salarzon, 21-12, 21-10, in the semifinals, right after pulling off a 21-10, 21-6 romp of Allaine Tejares and John Carl Araneta of D'Prints, in the quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-4 Abdilla now has six BVR on Tour titles on his trophy case, while Varga took home his fourth gold and later in the year won another championship for UST in the UAAP.
De Pedro and Ronquillo subdued Beach Volleyball Manila's AJ Pareja and Vincent Nadera, 21-15, 21-14, in the other half of the Final Four.
It was Cordero and Doromal's first-ever BVR on Tour championship. Cordero, the UAAP Season 85 Rookie of the Year from NU, placed second with her partner Bianca Lizares for Bacolod in the Candon City leg.
Candon City
Orillaneda and Epa pulled off a thrilling 21-17, 17-21, 15-11 victory over Lizares and Cordero to capture the women's crown via six-match sweep at the Darapidap Beach on June 18.
It was Orillaneda and Epa's first BVR on Tour crown as a pair, but not without surviving a tough stand by Lizares and Cordero.
In the men's division, Abdilla and Varga downed NU's Pol Salvador and Alex Iraya, 21-13, 21-10, to complete a perfect 5-0 campaign.
The wait is over for Orillaneda, whose previous best finish was in the 2018 December Open when she and Roma Joy Doromal placed second behind Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan, and so is Epa, who debuted in the tour in 2019.
On their way to the championship, Orillaneda and Epa swept Pool C made short work of Ateneo 1's Gena Hora and Yumi Furukawa, 21-17, 21-13, in the quarterfinals and Ateneo 2's Jana Cane and Liz Lomocso, 21-17, 21-13, in the semis.
Despite the Finals loss, the second place was the best finish for Lizares, the 5-foot-7 BVR regular who started competing in the tour in the Santa Fe, Bantayan Island in March 2018 with Jennifer Cosas as her partner.
BVR Recharged
Gen Eslapor and Roma Joy Doromal capped a dominant run in the BVR Recharged presented by Aboitiz Land at Seafront Residences with a 21-15, 21-8 victory over PetroGazz's Bea Tan and Dzi Gervacio to capture the women's gold medal last April 15.
Eslapor, a silver medalist in the 2022 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Subic, was fluid on her attacking game, while Doromal unleashed sharp serves to prevail in the 28 minute contest.
The Doromal-Eslapor tandem went undefeated in five matches.
Eslapor later in the year became a three-time UAAP champion for UST.
UST 1's Dominique Gabito and Alchie Gupiteo defeated AMC Cotabato 1's Krung Arbasto and Rancel Varga, 21-15, 21-17, to rule the men's division via five-match sweep.
Expect more exciting action in 2024, when the BVR on Tour returns.
