USPF, UST open beach volley bid

BORACAY, Philippines – University of Southern Philippines Foundation guns for a men’s three-peat while University of Santo Tomas seeks back-to-back women’s tiara as the 19th Nestea Beach Volleyball Tournament blasts off today.

Jon Derrick Reyes and Left Jhon Tormis suit up for the USPF Panthers, hoping to sustain the winning tradition of Edward Ybanez and Edmar Bonono last year.

The Panthers are up against a tough cast of challengers led by 2015 runner-up College of St. Benilde, NCAA titlist Mapua and UAAP Season 78 second-placer UST Tigers.

John Vic de Guzman returns to give it another shot for CSB, this time partnering with Racmade Etrone.

Also out to contend for the crown are Lyceum Batangas, University of the Cordilleras, Colegio San Agustin Bacolod, University of San Jose Recoletos, Holy Cross of Davao, Mindanao State U-Tawi-tawi, Southwestern, and Negros Oriental State U.

For their part, the Tigresses parade Cherry Rondina and Jem Gutierrez for their title retention bid.

Rondina teamed up with Rica Rivera in winning the plum over La Salle last year. The Lady Spikers, the UAAP Season 78 beach volley queens, are skipping the Bora tourney to concentrate on their championship quest in the UAAP indoor volleyball hostilities over in Manila.

Challenging the Tigresses are a crack roster of rivals led by Gretchel Soltones and Alyssa Eroa of NCAA holder San Sebastian and Jessica Galanza and Mylene Paat of UAAP side Adamson.

Other schools competing are Perpetual Laguna, University of Baguio, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, USJR, University of Mindanao Tagum, MSU-Tawi-tawi, San Beda College, SWU, and University of St. La Salle.