BORACAY-- Central Philippines University shoots for a three-peat in the women's division while University of the Visayas guns for a title-repeat in the men's side as the national finals of the 16th Nestea Beach Volleyball hit the pristine white sands and blue waters of paradise island Boracay on Thursday.
Jovelyn Gonzaga and Fiola Mae Ceballos teamed up anew after successfully topping last year's staging with a 21-18, 21-18 win over Southwestern U's Danika Yolanda Gendrauli and Raphril Aguilar hoping to win it all again against a 22-team field that packs a lot of strong, talented squads.
But Gonzaga and Ceballos are expected to have rough sailing this time after struggling to finish third in the combined Visayas and Mindanao regional eliminations behind University of Tagum's Lourdilyn Catubag and Karen Kay Quilario and an old, familiar foes in SWU's Genraulu and Aguilar in Cebu's scenic Moalboal beach just a few weeks ago.
The Catubag-Quilario pair and the Gendrauli-Aguilar tandems finished first and second in Cebu after the former downed the latter, 21-18, 21-18.
Another duo to watch out for is Santo Tomas' Maruja Banaticla and Jody Caballero, who booked a return flight to Boracay after finishing well in the Luzon qualifiers where Perpetual Laguna's Jessica Curato and
Elaine Kasilag, Adamson's Shiela Marie Pineda and Paulina Soriano, Lyceum's Amina Castillo and Jozza Cabalza, La Salle-Dasmarinas' Iari and Iumi Yongco and La Salle-Taft's Jeushl Wensh Tiu and Kim Fajardo.
Also making the final cut are University of Mindanao-Tagum, Central Phl U, Jose Maria College, University of Southern Phl, and University of San Carlos.
All eyes are also focused on the entertaining pair of Becaldo and Abria, who is expected to give everything they got after reigning supreme a year back with an emphatic 21-16, 21-19 triumph over University of San Jose de Recoletos' Jade Illut and Jason Uy.
Becaldo and Abria will have their hands full though against a loaded and much-improved cast that included Mindanao State U-Tawi Tawi, USJR, University of Southern Phl Foundation, University of Mindanao-Tagum and Holy Cross of Davao College.
The Big City will be represented by Letran's Erickson Joseph Ramos and Rudy Gatdula, who ruled the NCR-Luzon leg, La Salle-Dasma's Aldrin Bin and Hudri Kona, Arellano U's Jophius Christian Banang and John Carlo Lozada, Perpetual Laguna's John Joven Javier and John Philip Nunez, Adamson's John Hendrizx Competente and Gilbert Longavela and Calayan Educational Foundation's Joerge Cartney Pantoja and Jomari Joshua Herrera.