Top seeds USLS, CPU rule Nestea beach volley's Visayas leg

University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and Central Philippine University of Iloilo lived-up to their lofty billings as their men's and women's teams ruled the Visayas leg of the 15th Nestea Beach Volleyball Championship at Moalboal, Cebu. The Stingers' Roelene Inaudito and Kerwin Reje scored a hard-earned 21-19, 21-18 win over Cebu's University of the Visayas in the men's finals, while CPU volleybelles Jovelyn Gonzaga and Fiola Mae Ceballos repulsed Southwestern U's Danika Yolanda Gandrauli and Lore Mae Layno, 21-15, 21-17, to retain the women's crown. Cebu's University of San Jose-Recoletos—behind the rookie pair of Jason Uy and Jade Illut—downed Kennith Bensig and Bon Vincent Estrera, 21-15, 22-20—in the battle for third to also earn a spot in the Boracay national finals on April 19 to 21. USLS's Sheryl June Denila and Patty Jane Orindain will join the 5-foot-9 Gonzaga-led CPU duo and the SWU Lady Cobras in Boracay. Denilla and Orindain ousted University of San Carlos' Chona Gesulga and Suzette Panis, 21-14, 16-21, 15-7, to clinch the third and final spot in the women's side. Only the top three in the 12 men's teams and 11 women's squads in the four regional legs will earn berths to the Boracay finals. The Visayas qualifiers will join the Mindanao leg winners. The Luzon leg is the next stop of the Nestea beach volley tournament with 24 teams in both divisions vying for finals berths on March 21 to 23 at the First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities (FAITH) Campus in Tanauan, Batangas. The Metro Manila elimination will also take place at the same venue on March 25 to 27. — JVP, GMA News