Petron beach volley champ faces tall odds

MANILA, Philippines - Jennifer Manzano and new partner Satchel Senupe of De La Salle Dasmariñas brace for a tough outing as they try to defend their crown against a formidable field in the Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions set Oct. 11-12 event at the Baywalk in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

“We’ll make them work hard,” said University of Perpetual Help’s Jenilyn Aquino and partner Evardelene de Vera in Filipino during yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Ave.

Aquino and De Vera clashed for the PRISAA crown with Manzano and Senupe last summer.

Manila spikers Jill Gustilo and Chona Cabral also vowed to foil La Salle’s back-to-back title bid.

“We will not allow them to win again,” said the duo.

Manzano won the crown last year with April Almaden as partner, beating Wensh Tiu and Regina Tungol in the final, 21-11.

But Manzano stressed her tandem with Senupe has become a better team going into the final stage of the tournament backed by Petron, Speedo, Mikasa and the City of Puerto Princesa.

“We have improved a lot, especially in blocking,” said Manzano.

Opposition is also expected to come from Ateneo bets Jessica Morado and Asia Urquico, Letran pair Gena Andaya and Marinelle Jane Carolino, Marie Rose Burce and Melissa Cu.

The La Salle-Dasmariñas pair Hidemi Miyata and Aileen Abuel will also make their presence felt, along with three more teams from Palawan.

Organizer Tisha Abundo said the support of birthday celebrant, Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn will also make the outcome of the contest interesting.

“The fourth leg of the circuit gives the cast an extra motivation as it will crown who really is this season’s beach volley queens,”stated Abundo, who added that Mayor Hagedorn could provide additional incentives to the prizes, which will be P20,000 to the winners and P10,000 to the runners-up.

The spikefest coincides with Mayor Edward Hagedorn’s 64th birthday celebration and is part of the city’s thrust as a top sports tourism destination in the country.

It also aims to promote Puerto Princesa’s Subterranean Underground River as a world heritage site and one of the finalists in the global search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature.