Photo by UAAP
HONEY Grace Cordero and Kat Epa gave National University its first women's title, stunning University of Santo Tomas' Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella, 21-16, 19-21, 15-11, in a thrilling final in the UAAP beach volleyball tournament Tuesday at Sands SM By The Bay.
Cordero, who took over late in the decider after the Tiger Sands threatened at 9-10 by scoring three straight points, was named the season MVP.
The victory was sweet for the Lady Bulldogs, who were runner-ups in the last two seasons and lost to the Tiger Sands in the elimination round finale.
During the off-season, Pagara and Progella defeated Cordero and Epa en route to an undefeated run in the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Sipalay leg last June.
NU thus denied UST's quest for a record 10th women's championship.
It was the first time in nine years that the Tiger Sands failed to win a women's championship since Sisi Rondina and Rica Rivera placed fifth in 2015, missing out the Final Four.
"Sobrang saya po nanalo kami ng championship against UST dahil defending champion po sila. May pride po sila para maipaglaban ang championship," Cordero said.
"Pero hindi kami sumuko at ipinaglaban namin kung ano ang dapat ipinaglaban namin," she added.
Definitely it was a championship to remember for Cordero and Epa, who won BVR on Tour titles with different partners in Sipalay and Candon legs, respectively, last year.
For Epa, it was worth the wait for her UAAP collegiate debut. In her undefeated high school run in NU-Nazareth School, the tournament was scrapped due to pandemic in 2020 and had to fully recover from an injury to finally get to play.
It was a redemption season for Cordero, who debuted with a second place finish with Kly Orillaneda last year.
There's is still something to celebrate for the Tiger Sands, as tournament MVP Dominique Gabito and Alche Gupiteo carried the men's squad to a six-peat and a ninth crown overall by sweeping the Bulldogs' Alex Iraya and Sky Gemarino, 21-13, 21-16.
UST went undefeated in nine matches without dropping a set.
The Rookie of the Year honors went to Progella and Gemarino.
Far Eastern University completed a sweep of bronze medals as Lovely Lopez and Melody Pons avenged its elimination round loss to Adamson's Shai Nitura and Fei Sagaysay, 21-15, 21-10, while Amet Bituin and Reynan Postorioso overcame University of the Philippines' Angelo Lipata and Christian Pitogo, 21-19, 21-13.
The Tamaraws placed third in the women's and men's divisions for a second season in a row.
In the women's semifinal, Cordero and Epa trounced Nitura and Sagaysay, 21-12, 21-10, while Pagara and Progella defeated Lopez and Pons, 21-15, 21-15.
Gabito and Gupiteo made quick work of Pitogo and Lipata, 21-15, 21-12, while Iraya and Gemarino brushed off a tough first set stand by Bituin and Postorioso before hacking out a 22-20, 21-16 victory.
