Friday, February 15, 2008 Cebu teams gear up for Nestea beach volley
THE Cebuano beach volleyball stalwarts are all geared up to defend their bearing as the top beach conquerors in the country as the Visayas qualifying round of the 12th Nestea Beach Volleyball Competition takes center stage on April 7 to 10 at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City.
Last year, the duos of University of the Visayas and Southwestern University pulled off a 1-2 finish in the national finals.
This time, they are back with more power in their arsenal. UV is bent on defending its crown with the winning tandem of Jusabelle Brillo and Janez Armie Igot.
UV head coach Raffy Briones said his wards are hungry to retain the crown as this will be their last time to work together.
Meanwhile, in the SWU’s side, Janelle Tabio will be paired with a new partner in Florianne Gutierrez. Her partner last year, Maritess Natad, is no longer eligible.
Gutierrez, however, is not all that new to the beach volleyball scene. She is the only player in Cebu to have won a grand slam in Nestea before taking a respite from volleyball.
Gutierrez and Natad won back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005 and in 2003, the then newbie Gutierrez and Janeth Ponte also claimed the national title.
The two teams will be the main forces coming from Cebu after another strong bet, University of San Jose-Recoletos, begged off from joining as the schedule is in conflict with a national meet.
Cebu will however, still have University of San Carlos and the University of Southern Philippines, which will be going up against Colegio Purisima Concepcion, Foundation University, Iloilo Doctors College, University of Iloilo, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, University of St. La Salle-Bacolod and the University of San Agustin. (MCB)
