Uswag Ilonggo 1's MJ Ebro and Honey Grace Cordero and Madekind Naturals' Erjane Magdato and Jennifer Cosas emerged as women's co-champions in the Negros Island Beach Volleyball Tour Sunday at the Center Mall in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
With most of the matches pushed to three sets on the final day of the tournament, the tournament officials have decided to have a double champions as the exciting duel between Ebro and Cordero, and Magdato and Cosas in the third set was cut short due to darkness. The match ended with both teams tied at 8-8.
Councilor PG Maisog, together with local sports advocate Ginggoy Valmayor, awarded the double winners P30,000 which they will split equally.
Uswag Ilonggo 2's Gelimae Villanueva and Kyla Gallego completed the podium finishers, securing third place in the two-day main draw organized by the Beach Volleyball Republic.
The pairs of Ebro and Cordero, and Magdato and Cosas will wait for another exciting leg of Negros Island Beach Volleyball Tour to settle who will reign the ultimate champion.
In the semifinals, Ebro and Cordero rallied from a set down to beat Higad's Therese Ramas and Bianca Lizares, 16-21, 21-10, 15-11, and dominated Uswag Ilonggo 2's Villanueva and Gallego in the third set before scoring a 15-21, 23-21, 15-6 win to advance to the championship match.
Magdato and Cosas advanced to the finals outright after winning three matches.
In the men's division, Asian Volleyballista's Rancel Varga and Dominique Gabito took the championship after NU Boysen 1's James Buytrago suffered serious cramps and could not play in the title match.
Buytrago and Pol Salvador, who overcame a one-set deficits to beat NU Boysen 2's Jhon Cabatuan and Jeffer Guerrero, 12-21, 21-11, 15-10 and NOBVC's Philip Sugaton and Peter Sugaton, 20-22, 24-22, 15-13, in the do-or-die matches prior to the championship, settled for second place.
The Sugaton twins finished third.
Varga and Gabito went undefeated in four matches in the two-day tournament. They went straight to the Finals following a 21-7, 21-11 romp of the Sugatons.
