Cebu City to stage first open volleyball tourney

CEBU, Philippines — Bigtime volleyball action returns to the Queen City of the South with the staging of the first ever Cebu City Mayor's Cup Open Volleyball Tournament on May 6-16 at the University of San Carlos (USC)-Main gym.

"It's going to be a highly competitive action considering that four teams from Manila will be coming over to challenge our local teams that are expected to reinforce their respective lineups," said Cebu City Councilor Jerry L. Guardo in a press conference yesterday at Cebu Grand Hotel.

"This is really an exciting event that the Cebuano sports community should look foward to," added Guardo, the city's deputy mayor for sports who is spearheading the 10-day contest in partnership with the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) headed by chairman Ed Hayco and the Cebu Spikers Volleyball Club (CSVC) of coach Jordan Paca.

As far as he can remember, Paca said this is the first time in the chronicles of Cebu sports that an open volleyball competition will be staged in this side of the country.

"I hope this will jack up the interest of the Cebuanos in volleyball," said Paca.

A total of 10 teams divided into two brackets  will be seeing action in both men's and women's division.

Locking up horns in men's Group A are the Iconnect-Southwestern University/Phinma, University of San Carlos, University of Cebu, Techno Hammers, and Good Harvest, while the University of San Jose-Recoletos, University of Southern Philippines Foundation, Cebrus, Cebu Province and 8x8 make up men's Group B.

The contenders in women's Group A are SWU-Phinma, USPF, South Spikers, CSVC and SC Poncas, while fighting it out in women's Group B are USJ-R, USC, UC, Mandaue and Makati Gospel Church-New Life Christian Academy (MGC-NLCA).

They will play in a single round robin format, with the top two finishers in each group advancing into the crossover semifinals. The winners will then clash for the coveted title.

The champions will pocket P30,000 each, while the second to fourth placers will receive P20,000, P10,000 and P5,000, respectively.

Tickets for the games are priced at P10 for the general admission and P20 for the courtside.