MANILA, Philippines - San Beda spikers Janine Marciano and Frances Molina stunned their rivals with their booming spikes and came away with a pair of victories yesterday at the start of the third leg of the 2013 Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball tournament.
The two first had an easy time finishing off University of the East bets Leuseth Dawis and Chelo Ramos, 21-9, right at their foe’s own turf – the sand courts of the UE-Caloocan campus.
Marciano and Molina then survived a closely fought match with Trinity’s Carissa Martinez and Mary Paz Soteco to score a 21-19 win in this spikefest supported by Petron and Mikasa Balls.
A flurry of aces from the 18-year old Molina allowed the pair from San Beda to take charge with a 5-2 spread, which they padded to as much as 13-5 in their clash with Dawis and Ramos.
Molina again scored the last two points for the Red Lionesses with a spike to the left and an ace as they put away Martinez and Soteco to lead Group B.
“Nakalayo kami sa unang laro dahil sakto lang ang mga tira namin. Pero nu’ng second game, nahirapan kami dahil hindi kaagad na-organize iyung depensa,†said Molina, a marketing senior.
Meanwhile, La Salle-Dasmariñas duo Iari Yongco and Mariel Desengano clobbered AMA Computer University’s Sheila Fajardo and Jasmine Dario, 21-15, in Group A.
Fajardo and Dario later bounced back from their loss to Yongco and Desengano with 23-21 beating of Letran spikers Jan Carreon and Queenie Mondejar.
In the same bracket, UE’s Jessica Paron and Krycel Cueva walloped Philippine School of Business Administration’s Naomi Otoshi and Jona Abueg, 21-9.
In Group B, Far Eastern University’s Samantha Dawson and new teammate Bernadette Pons dealt Trinity’s Martinez and Soteco another loss, 21-16.
UE-Caloocan chancellor Zosimo Battad appeared at the opening ceremonies as the guest of honor, with Lionel Dee, internal communications officer of Petron corporate affairs department.