UNIVERSITY of the East standouts April Soriano and Jimberly Dizon hurdled a pesky pair from Far Eastern University yesterday to reach the semifinals of the 2009 Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Tournament’s first leg right at their own homecourt.

Soriano and Dizon showed their mastery of the sand courts at the UE-Caloocan grounds when they held off Lady Tamaraws Anna Abanto and Marigail Tolentino, 21-14, in the spikefest backed by Petron, Speedo (official outfitter), UE-Caloocan and Mikasa (official ball).

Their second win in three games in Group B put them in a three-way tie with their victims Abanto and Tolentino, and the pair of University of the Philippines bets Leah Acepcion and Rebecca Gail Montero. But Soriano and Dizon took the no. 1 spot in their bracket behind a better tie break record, after Acepcion and Montero bowed to eventual semifinalists Abanto and Tolentino, 9-21, earlier.

Soriano and Dizon take on UP’s Southlyn Ramos and Pauline Genido (3-1) in the crossover semis, while Abanto and Tolentino battle UE’s Ginaflor Alanguilan and Abigail Escandor, who pulled off a four-game sweep of Group A, in the other semifinal duel.

The lanky Dizon and Soriano, who both stands at 5’8”, tied the count at 13-all by forcing Abanto and Tolentino to commit errors with their serves. After putting more power to their serves, Dizon and Soriano began to pull away at 17-13.   

“Kinargahan namin ang serves at offense para makaangat kami,” said Dizon, an International Studies sophomore, who with Dizon bounced back from an opening-day setback to Acepcion and Montero, 22-24, using a 21-7 triumph over Ma. Francesca Demerin and Jonalyn Garfin of Technological Institute of the Philippines.

Escandor and Alanguilan are now a win closer of making it again to the Battle of Champions, which they missed last year due to studies. They only need to hurdle Abanto and Tolentino in the semis of this tournament offering P10,000 to the champions. Peter Atencio