UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas completed a double championship for the second year in a row in the UAAP beach volleyball tournament on Sunday at Sands SM By The Bay.
Tiger Spikers Rancel Varga and Jaron Requinton completed a 10-0 run to the title, capped by a finals sweep of Far Eastern University's Jude Garcia and Doy Barrica.
Varga and Requinton dominated the Tamaraws with an easy 21-11, 21-11 win in the opener before closing out the series with a 21-15, 21-19 victory for UST’s fifth overall title.
Babylove Barbon and Gen Eslapor extended UST’s reign in the women’s division, beating La Salle’s Tin Tiamzon and Justine Jazareno with a sweep in the best-of-three finals.
"Sobrang saya kasi yung goal namin ay ma-defend ang crown. Nagawa po namin siya. Inalay po namin yung game sa UST, sa mga taong naniniwala sa amin at lalong lalo na kay ate Sisi (Rondina)," said Barbon, last year’s top rookie and now MVP. “Ilang din years siyang nag-champion kaya ayaw naming mabigo siya. Iniwan niya ang team na laging nagtsa-champion kaya kailangan naming ituloy na laging champion.”
The Tigresses edged the Lady Spikers 21-14, 20-22, 15-12, in the opener before clinching the title with a 28-26, 21-18 victory.
"Consistent ang ipinakita namin ni Jaron hanggang dulo. Iniaalay namin ito sa UST, kay God, at sa family namin sa sumusuporta at sa mga coaches," said Varga, who was named the season MVP.
Varga also dedicated their title to the former champions of UST men’s Krung Arbasto and KR Guzman.
"Para sa kanila din dito. Palagi po kaming gina-guide. Tinuturuan po kami kung ano ang tactics, kung ano ang technique sa paglalaro ng beach volleyball," he said.
Roma Mae Doromal, who with Ponggay Gaston powered Ateneo to third place, won the Rookie of the Year honors.
National University's James Buytrago was the men’s top freshman as he helped James Natividad to finish with a bronze medal.