Dumaguete City will play host to an exciting line-up of 20 local and international pairs—10 in both women’s and men’s—in the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour on Monday.
Headlining the women’s division are the battle-tested duo of Charo Soriano and Bea Tan of Perlas, and newly minted UAAP champion Babylove Barbon and Genesa Eslapor of University of Santo Tomas in the two-day spikefest to be held at the Rizal Boulevard sand court.
Soriano had a successful comeback last month in scenic El Nido, teaming up with Tan in winning the championship, while Barbon, who joined forces with Sisi Rondina in topping the Manila Open last August, will have Eslapor as her new partner in the tour.
Among the visiting women’s players joining are Samaa Miyagawa of Japan, Tin Lai of Hong Kong, and Tati Sablan of Guam, while Mitabashi Masato and Takashi Tsuchiya of Japan will also play in the men’s side.
The BVR is now becoming a platform for former student-athletes to pursue playing beach volleyball even after college.
In fact, former UAAP champions KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto will reunite in the ninth leg of the year featuring two pairs from host Dumaguete —Reynald Catipay and Buensuceso Sayson, and Jestorni Tubosa and Jayron Eltanal.
Guzman paired with Ian Yee in ruling the men’s division in El Nido, while Arbasto was with Jaron Requinton in their successful Manila Open championship run.
It will be the first time that BVR will stage a leg in Dumaguete City, which is celebrating its 70th charter anniversary and fiesta, as the famed university town in the Visayas looms to become one of the tour’s regular venues like Ilocos Sur, Santa Ana, Cagayan and Cebu.
Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo accepted the hosting as to further strengthen the city’s reputation as a sports tourism destination.
Completing the women’s cast are Coyah Abanto and Jen Acain (Air Force), Erjane Magdato and Alexa Polidario (UNO-R), Mahriz Cosain and Bianca Lizares (USLS), Dij Rodriguez and Dannah Jimenez (Cebu), Angelina Damas and Grace Barrica (Dipolog), and Jennymar Senares and Jennifer Cosas (Bacolod).
Jessie Lopez and Ranran Abdilla (Air Force), Efraim Dimaculangan and Rancel Vergara (UST), Simon Aguillon and Ralph Savellano (Bacolod), Deanne Neil Depedro and Harold Parcia (USLS), James Buytrago and Edward Camposano (NU), and Mikhail Shavrak and Mike Abria (Wildcard) are also entered in the men’s division.
