Battle of the best

TO INTENSIFY the level of competition, the Visayas and Mindanao elimination legs will be held simultaneously in the 16th Nestea Beach Volleyball competition on March 22-23 in Moalboal.

According to Nestea’s marketing promotions manager Jedessa Leyte, they decided to merge the two legs to make it bigger and more challenging for the teams and they find Cebu as a fitting venue.

The Luzon and NCR legs will on April 5-6 and the national finals will be on April 18-20 in Boracay Island.

National technical director Otie Camangian said there is a possibility that teams from Mindanao and Visayas will play each other in the second round.

“In the first round, the Mindanao teams will be separated from the Visayas teams, but in the succeeding rounds, they might face each other,” Camangan said during a press conference with Visayas coordinator Ricky Ballesteros and Cebu Volleyball Association officials.

Ballesteros said the Mindanao teams that are strong are those from Tawi-Tawi and Tagum. However, he also said reigning champion team University of the Visayas and University of San Jose Recoletos are also favorites.

“Of course we all have the pressure but we will do our best in this tournament,” said UV head coach Raffy Briones, whose team is already practicing in Moalboal.

Sixty-four teams—32 each for the men’s and men’s division—will see action this weekend and will play in a single-elimination format.

“Teams will be more challenged and will take all the matches very seriously,” Camaingan said.

With the merging of the two legs, the top six men’s and women’s teams in the elimination will be sent to the finals. In previous editions, the top three in the
Mindanao and Visayas legs qualifed to the finals.

Meanwhile, Central Philippines University (CPU) Jovielyn Gonzaga had a change of heart and decided to play in the elimination. Earlier it was reported that Gonzaga would just coach this year.

The University of San Carlos (USC) has signed up three women’s teams—led by Chona Gesulga and Suzette Panis—and is planning to add two more teams but according to Ballesteros, schools can only have a maximum of two pairs.

“They need to choose who are the pairs that they will be sending for the Vis-Min eliminations,” Ballesteros said.

Ballesteros also added that they will have a sidelight event, which is a motorboat competition from Cebu to Negros and back.