Thirty-two of the country’s best amateur and professional beach volleyball players have been assembled for the tournament, the second of a three-part series sponsored by Nestea Iced Tea, the major proponent of beach volleyball in the country.
They include players from the national indoor volleyball pool, champion teams from the Nestea Inter-Collegiate Beach Volleyball Tournament (now Nestea Beach Volley University Challenge) as well as Asian Beach Volley Circuit vets.
Prominent names going into the competition are Joan Botor, erstwhile back-to-back Nestea Inter-Collegiate Beach Volleyball tournament titlist (for UST-DX1), Gino Macailan and Elmer Valdez, two of the NCAA’s best volleyball players.
Southeast Asian Games indoor volley veterans Elvin Pabilonia and Parley Tupaz are also vying for the tournament titles. Asian Beach Volley Circuit veterans Herminio Gallo, Sheryl Tumayao and Jennifer Buhawe, all part of former Nestea Inter-Collegiate Beach Volleyball champion teams, are also making a comeback.
The women champions of the tournament will compete in the second Nestea Beach Volley Asian Women‘s Championships set March 30-April 1 also at the CCP Complex.
Also part of the series is the fifth Nestea Beach Volley University Challenge and the second Nestea Beach Volley Asian Women’s Championships, which also serves as the first leg of the Asian Beach Volley Circuit.
All of the beach volleyball competitions make up the sports component of the recently launched Nestea Loves The Beach program.
The Nestea Beach Volley University Challenge is made possible by sponsors: Speedo, the official outfitter of the Nestea Beach Volley Series, Asian Spirit, the People’s Airline, Mikasa, the Westin Philippine Plaza, Milo, Nescafé Frothé, Astring-O-Sol Ice, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pasalubong ng Bayan and Boracay Resorts Galaxy, Club 10, Titay South Beach Resort, Boracay Gold Crowne Club, Crystal Sand and Alyssa Resort as well as Boracay food sponsors, Garibo, Gorio’s Café Breizh and Floremar Pizzeria Da Mario Ristorante Italiano.