Chase for beach volley honors up in Boracay

BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan —- The hunt for beach volleyball honors reaches its climax this weekend as the fifth Beach Volleyball University Challenge unfolds today with eight squads clashing for the men’s and women’s titles at this island paradise.

It will be a virtual showdown between Foundation University of Dumaguete and University of San Jose de Recoletos, which both sent two teams in the semifinal round of this annual event capping Nestea Ice Tea’s "Nestea Loves the Beach" program.

Focus, however, will be on Foundation University of Dumaguete I, which is fancied to romp away with the crown in the men’s division by virtue of its impressive performance in the quarterfinal round which it topped behind the tandem of Isidro Bongcasan and Edward Balbuena.

In the distaff side, the San Sebastian pair of Sheryl Tumayao and Jennifer Buhawe guns for its back-to-back title victory as it battles University of Saint La Salle-Bacolod, Southwestern University and Foundation University of Dumaguete.

Although the three other squads are given equal chances to win, the Tumayao-Buhawe tandem remains the team to beat owing to its solid showing in the recent Nestea National Open and the second Nestea Asian Women’s Championship last month. – Joey Villar