Al-Bahar Trading & Services – Purefoods Cooked Beef and the Mohammed Al-Dossary Hospital women's teams swept all their elimination round matches to be on top of their respective divisions and enter the crossover semifinal round of the Awit at Sigla “Ambassadors Volleyball Cup at the International Philippine School here. Purefoods Cooked Beef shot down Al-Suwaidi Eagles via straight sets 25-14, 25-22. Former Lyceum of the Philippine sensation Alexander Lui provided the much needed attack at the net, while Palarong Pambansa blocker Javim Baraquia orchestrated his defensive expertise. He led his team with 11 kills, impeccable blocks and several drop balls. The Eagles tried to regain their composure by putting pressure, fine defense and solid kills to intimidate their rivals in the first set courtesy of their ace spiker Marvin Bathan as he teamed up with Nicanor Becoy and Alvaro Mayuga. But their tactics were too short for the Purefoods squad to handle. The Purefoods Cooked Beef will meet Al-Suwaidi Eagles in the semifinal. Al Suwaidi Eagles automatically ranked four after their multiple tie with Volleyball Enthusiast in Eastern Province (VEEP) and AYTB-Jubail. The tournament applied full FIVB Rules wherein Quotient System will be implemented to determine the ranking in the semifinal round. In women's division, the Mohammed Al-Dossary Hospital Ladies proved steadier than King Fahad Hospital Hofuf in a battle of nerves in each of the two sets as it pulled off a 25-13, 25-15 victory. With the win, Mohammed Al Dossary Hospital will meet Royal Commission Hospital while Magnolia Ice Cream will face Saad Specialist Hospital in the cross over game format in ladies event. In men's division, AYTB-Jubail will vie for a knockout match against Volleyball Enthusiast in Eastern Province for the championship slot. In other games, Al-Rushaid Construction Company ambushed SWCC 25-7, 25-21, Saad Specialist Hospital beat SOFHCARE 25-15, 25-23, KFSH-Magnolia Ice Cream trounced Al-Mouwasat Hospital 25-17, 25-22, Royal Commission Hospital dumped Air Base Nightingales 25-13, 25-13, VEEP and AYTB-Jubail tasted victories after beating ARCC in separate action, while Al-Suwaidi Eagles bulldozed SWCC 22-25, 25-15, 25-12. The tournament is part of the ongoing “Awit at Sigla”, 111th Philippine Independence Day and 14th Migrant Workers Day celebration jointly organized by Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Eastern Region Operations (POLO-ERO) of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh in cooperation with All Filipino Community Organization in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. __
