Dumaguete City—A wide-open race for the women’s and men’s crowns looms in the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour Monday at the Rizal Boulevard sand court here.
Newly minted UAAP champion Babylove Barbon and Genesa Eslapor of University of Santo Tomas and El Nido leg winners Charo Soriano and Bea Tan of Perlas are tipped as favorites, but they will be facing a stiff challenge from eight other international and local women’s pairs.
Barbon and Eslapor are returning to the site of their triumphant 23rd Philippine University Games stint late last month, which they hope to replicate in the ninth leg of the tour.
Also, former UAAP champions KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto of the Tigers will go up against an equally tough men’s cast, which features two pairs from host Dumaguete — Reynald Catipay and Buensuceso Sayson, and Jestorni Tubosa and Jayron Eltanal.
Matches will start at 7 a.m., while the opening ceremonies are set at 2 p.m. with Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo in attendance.
It will be the first time that BVR will stage a leg in Dumaguete, which is celebrating its 70th charter anniversary and fiesta, further strengthening the city’s reputation as a sports tourism destination.
Among the visiting players competing in the two-day spikefest are Samaa Miyagawa of Japan and Tin Lai of Hong Kong in women’s, as well as Mitabashi Masato and Takashi Tsuchiya of Japan in men’s.
Completing the women’s cast are Jen Acain (Air Force), Erjane Magdato and Alexa Polidario (UNO-R), Mahriz Cosain and Bianca Lizares (USLS), Dij Rodriguez and Dannah Jimenez (Cebu), Angelina Damas and Grace Barrica (Dipolog), and Jennymar Senares and Jennifer Cosas (Bacolod).
Jessie Lopez and Ranran Abdilla (Air Force), Efraim Dimaculangan and Rancel Vergara (UST), Simon Aguillon and Ralph Savellano (Bacolod), Deanne Neil Depedro and Harold Parcia (USLS), James Buytrago and Edward Camposano (NU), and Mikhail Shavrak and Mike Abria (Wildcard) are also entered in the men’s division.
The next BVR leg will be a Christmas Open on Dec. 14 to 16 at Sands SM By The Bay.
