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By Emil C. Noguera, Correspondent
TAGUM: Comebacking University of Mindanao-Tagum
pulled off a 21-13, 21-18 upset win over defending champion Mindanao
State University-Tawi Tawi at the start of the 2008 Nestea Beach
Volley National Circuit Mindanao Elimination on Tuesday at the
Rotary Park Beach Volleydrome.
After a year of absence, UM-T marked its amazing
return as veteran pair of Raquelito Tayabas and Lowell Fabian
capitalized on their deep experience and superb court coverage in
trouncing MSU-T’s brother tandem Yusop and Momoy Abdulkarim in
less than an hour.
It was the second straight win of UM-T following
its 21-15, 21-15 demolition of University of Mindanao-Davao earlier.
“We’ve been playing together for more than
four years so we’re familiar with each other’s moves. Our
opponents are strong, we just happen to get the upperhand but
we’re sure they will come back in their next game,” said the
23-year-old Fabian, a senior Hotel and Restaurant Management
student.
UMT, which is gunning for its third semifinal
appearance following its eighth and ninth place finishes in the 2004
and 2005 editions, encountered a little problem in the early going
of the second set with high-leaping Momoy taking the cudgels for MSU-T’s
12-11 advantage.
But Tayabas, on his fourth year in the
tournament, waxed hot to give his team an 18-14 lead on a crosscourt
tip en route to victory in this event supported by Havaianas,
Speedo, Mikasa, Penshoppe, Tagum Beach Volley Drome Rotary Park ,
University of St. La Salle-Bacolod , Island Cove Hotel and Leisure
Park , Crystal Sand Beach Resort, Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel, La
Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel, D’Mall, D’Boracay and Hey! Jude
Hotel Resort.
“Why these two teams from Cebu and Bacolod?
Simply because these are areas where volleyball in the country is
very popular,” said Sports Vision chairman Moying Martelino when
he led officials of the Shakey’s
V-League appear in Tuesday’s PSA Forum at the
Shakey’s U.N. Avenue branch.
Joining USCR and USLS in the tournament that
runs until June 6 are defending champion University of Santo Tomas,
reigning NCAA titlist San Sebastian College, UAAP counterpart Far
Eastern U, Ateneo de Manila, Adamson U, De La Salle, Lyceum and
College of St. Benilde, which takes the place of Letran College.
The two guest teams from the Visayas however,
will only see action beginning the quarterfinal phase when it
battles the top four remaining squads at the end of the
preliminaries. The top two teams in the eliminations earn outright
berths to the semifinals.
The games will be played Sunday, Tuesday and
Friday beginning at 2 p.m., and are going to be aired over NBN-4.
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