By ADRIAN STEWART CO

It will be Negros Occidental against Iloilo in the championship round of the 2021 Gatorade-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup at the Subic Bay sands court in Subic, Zambales.

Abanse Negrense A pair of Alexa Polidario and Erjane Magdato punched the first championship ticket with a 21-18, 21-12 victory over Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors B tandem of Shiela Pineda and Jonah Sabete.

Ilonggas DM Demontano and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors A averted an all-Abanse Negrense finale after ousting its Team B of Gelimae Villanueva and Jennifer Cosas, 21-18, 16-21, 15-9.

Polidario, a former standout of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, said that championship was really the target for them following their intense training in preparation for the tournament.

“Para sa akin opo (in-expect namin umabot dito) kasi every day talaga kaming nagttrain ng team ko talagang pinaghandaan namin itong PSL,” said Polidario, who bolted out of Creamline’s national beach volleyball team to play for Abanse Negrense.

In the classification matches, Negrenses Jennymar Senares and Kyla Gallego of F2 Logistics Cargo Movers manhandled Christina Canares and Ariane Alarcon of Kennedy Solar Energy-Petro Gazz, 21-9, 21-9.

Ella Viray and Theresa Ramas of United Auctioneers Inc., meanwhile, erased a 4-8 deficit in the third set to beat Javen Sabas and Jonah San Pedro of Toby’s Sports, 21-18, 6-21, 15-13.

The PSL return after almost 11 months was made possible through the support of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and Inter-Agency Task Force For the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases-Region 3./ASC,WDJ