Everything is all set for the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Manila Open, which fires off today (Friday) at Sands SM By The Bay.
All eyes will be on the new partnership of Sisi Rondina and rising star Babylove Barbon in the three-day, double gender tournament which will start at 8 a.m.
Rondina and Barbon, who will be at the forefront of University of Santo Tomas’ quest for a third consecutive UAAP beach volleyball crown next month, will be among the 16 women’s pairs that will vie for the P20,000 top prize.
The Perlas tandem of Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan are also tipped to contend for the gold.
Incidentally, Rondina and Gervacio were teammates in the FIVB Beach World Tour 1-Star Manila Open last May, as the two sand court veterans made it to the quarterfinals, the highest among the four Philippine pairs.
Other entries in the women’s division are National University’s Klymince Orilleneda and Antonnete Landicho, UST 2’s Gen Eslapor and MJ Ebro, Far Eastern University’s Ivana Agudo and Marianne Calinawan, Smart’s Grethcel Soltones and Alyssa Eroa, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta’s Princess Deana Estanislao and Janine Padue, University of the East’s Manalo and Ritual, College of Saint Benilde’s Felicia Cui and Kaila Mendoza, Air Force’s Anna Abanto and Jennifer Manzano, University of the Philippines’ Jessma Ramos and Justine Dorog, and UP 2’s Abi Goc and Mikee Osorio.
Completing the cast are Rizal Technological University’s Macie Candido and Jona Mae De Lima, Kempal’s Roma Doromal and Jasmine Nabor, Adamson’s Hannah Nicole Infante and Gracelchen Ave, and Ateneo’s Jules Samonte and Ponggay Gaston.
The 16-team competition will be divided into four brackets, where the top two teams in each groups after the single-round preliminaries advance in the knockout quarterï¬nals. The semifinals and finals are also one-match affairs.
There are also 16 pairs competing in the men’s division led by Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad of reigning UAAP champions NU, and Krung Arbasto and Jaron Requinton of UST.
Also in the chase are James Buytrago and Pol Salvador of NU, Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez of Air Force, Ian Yee and Rangel Varga of UST 2, Jeriel Apelar and AJ Pareja of BVR, KR Guzman and Efraim Dimaculangan of Tigers, Philip Bagalay and Greg Utupo of BVR 1, Jude Garcia and Kevin Hadlocon of FEU, Joshua Barrica and Joel Villonson of Army, and Clifford Inoferio and Alven Aljas of UE.
Russel Garcia and Reiven Kyle Velera of St. Benilde, Jayjay Solamillo and Gilbert Balmores of Perpetual Help, EJ Ramos and Edmar Bonono of Cignal, Keneth Revilla and Jubith Calio of RTU, Richard Solis and Ralph Dablo of FEU 2 are also joining in the men’s division.
Admission is free.