UC, UB eye revenge against SLU in TCS beach volley

AFTER winning the women’s volleyball in the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL), Saint Louis University (SLU) will be a marked squad when the first TrueColors Women's Beach Volley gets underway March2-3.

University of the Cordilleras (UC) will seek revenge against the Lady Navigators after their five set game three loss in last October’s finals in the BBEAL.

And the University of Baguio (UB) wants to topple SLU also hungry to get their hands on the neck of the two rookies that did most of the damage for SLU: Colleen Rossi and EJ Daniel.

UB was ranked third in the semis, however, after dealing SLU a five set defeat in the elimination. That allowed UC to take first spot and SLU the second and UB third. If it was a walk in the park for UC, SLU had to dig deep in its reserves as it went up against the defending champion which needed to win twice.

It was a five set heartbreaker for UB sending the Louisians to the finals.

The Lady Jaguars and the Lady Cardinals all but want the same thing, deny SLU the wins and if need be, they will face each other in the finals on Sunday, March 3. Maureen Agudia and Roxanne Almonte of UC and UB's Jen Lunday, who was last year's top spiker, will suit up against the Daniel-Rossi tandem.

A sidelight to the two day event bankrolled also by the Hotel Restaurant Association of Baguio, the Baguio Country Club, Eurotel and Baguio City Police Office director Jesus Cambay is a special match between SLU and Cordillera Career Development College - on the men's side this time.

The two faced each other in the finals where SLU upended the top ranked CCDC for the title. It was one of the most amazing comebacks in local volley when the third ranked, and two time defending champion, SLU had to beat UC twice to get the second finals seat. They bled but won in two five set thrillers.

Now brothers Rolex and Jerik Soltero get at least a semblance of revenge when they face yet an unnamed duo from SLU. However, the two will wear g-strings in the first of a kind g-stringed beach volley in the city.

"This is really very exciting since not only do the girls fight each other in a different court, but two guys from two great schools with good volleyball program are up against each other one seeking to avenge its volleyball loss last year," said tournament director Henry Fuentes, athletic director of SLU, who coached the winning SLU squads from 1995-2002.

The newly renamed Bufallos will stake their claim in Bracket B of the two bracket event that will also see neighbor and rival Cordillera Career Development College, University of the Philippines-Baguio, Pines City College, Benguet State University and the city's Big Three: Saint Louis University, University of Baguio.

The tougher bracket A will have the Big 3 and UP-Baguio of the event supported by the City of Baguio and Chadrock Mineral Resources. (Roderick Osis)