Thursday, April 24, 2008 Beach volleyball finals underway
ALL roads lead to Boracay when the 2008 Nestea Beach Volleyball semifinals and finals get underway starting Thursday with a total of 18 teams competing for honor and big cash prizes at stake.
The teams, nine each from men and women, are all qualifiers of a series of eliminations. They will converge in the famous summer destination for three days of intense beach volleyball action that ends on April 26.
Three of the finalists are from Davao City with Allen Jay Sales and Celboy Atendido and Aiza Armacion and Mukay Ramos representing the Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC). The other finalist is the women's pair of Maricel Cabus and Janice Arnaiz of the University of Mindanao.
Sales and Atendido created waves of sorts when the young pair emerged the surprise finalist after the Mindanao leg in Tagum City.
The 18-year-old Atendido and 19-year-old Sales placed third in the men's division in that elimination despite the presence of very tough teams.
This early, Ali Bernan, the HCDC pair's coach, is confident of his boys' chances, saying that they have prepared hard for this.
As part of their preparation, Atendido and Sales did some practice rounds at the beach volleyball court in Tagum City before flying to Boracay.
Far Eastern University is the top favorite both in the women's and men's divisions in the Boracay finals.
The national champion will get P150,000 in this tournament supported by Speedo, Mikasa, Villa de Oro Boracay, Boracay Mandarin Island Hotel, Boracay Gold Crowne Club, Microtel Ins and Suites Boracay, Hey! Jude @ D'Mall, D'Mall D'Boracay, La Salle Greenhills, Schering Plough Coppertone and Crystal Sand.
