Adamson's Benting, Gata crowned queens of the UAAP sand courts

Adamson’s Angela Benting and Lizlee Ann Gata crowned themselves as queens of the sand courts after topping the UAAP beach volleyball tournament to cap their amazing run in the 72nd season of the country’s premier collegiate league. Benting and Gata, who swept their seven elimination round games to earn an outright finals berth, posted a 21-16, 12-21, 15-6 win over the two-time defending champion Far Eastern University pair of Anna Banto and Marigail Tolentino on Sunday at the UE Caloocan campus sand courts. Abanto and Tolentino finished second in the elimination round and had to score a come-from-behind 9-21, 21-19, 15-12 win over La Salle’s Jacqueline Alarca and Charleen Cruz in the stepladder semifinals to set a final showdown with Benting and Gata. Benting and Gata’s victory ended FEU’s two-year reign in the event that was introduced by the league as a demonstration sport in 2007. “Nag-focus lang kami sa communication at sa teamwork. Gusto namin talaga mag-champion para kay Gata, na magtatapos na ng kanyang playing years after this season," said the 20-year-old Benting, who was later named as the tournament most valuable player. In the men’s division, the Santo Tomas Growling Tigers bagged their second straight crown after Jayson Ramos and James Pecana downed the FEU pair of Joshua Alcarde and Arvin Avila, 22-20, 22-20 in the finals. Ramos, who starred for the Tigers’ seven-game sweep of their elimination round games, was later named as the men’s MVP while awarded as the men’s and women’s rookies of the year are John Paul Pareja of Ateneo and UST’s Maruja Banatical. – GMANews.TV