University of Santo Tomas standout Sisi Rondina will unveil a new partner in rising star Babylove Barbon as the Beach Volleyball Republic on Tour Manila Open reels off on Friday at Sands SM By The Bay.
Rondina and Barbon, who will try to power the Tigresses their third consecutive UAAP beach volleyball crown next month, will be among the 16 women’s pairs that will vie for the P20,000 prize.
Rondina won a BVR leg last year with Jinggay Bangad as her partner in Currimao, Ilocos Norte, while Barbon emerged as the BVR Queen of the Sands last month.
Also tipped to contend in the three-day tournament are Dzi Gervacio and Bea Tan of Perlas.
Incidentally, Rondina and Gervacio were teammates in the FIVB Beach World Tour 1-Star Manila Open last May, as the two sand court veterans made it to the quarterfinals, the highest among the four Philippine pairs.
Also competing in the women’s division are National University’s Klymince Orilleneda and Antonnete Landicho, UST 2’s Gen Eslapor and MJ Ebro, Far Eastern University’s Ivana Agudo and Marianne Calinawan, FEU 2’s Sheena Gallentes and Jamaica Pascua, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta’s Princess Deana Estanislao and Janine Padue, University of the East’s Manalo and Ritual, College of Saint Benilde’s Felicia Cui and Kaila Mendoza, Air Force’s Anna Abanto and Jennifer Manzano, University of the Philippines’ Jessma Ramos and Justine Dorog, and UP 2’s Abi Goc and Mikee Osorio.
Completing the cast are Rizal Technological University’s Macie Candido and Jona Mae De Lima, Kempal’s Roma Doromal and Jasmine Nabor, Adamson’s Hannah Nicole Infante and Gracelchen Ave, and Ateneo’s Jules Samonte and Ponggay Gaston.
The 16-team competition will be divided into four brackets, where the top two teams in each groups after the single-round preliminaries advance in the knockout quarterï¬nals. The semifinals and finals are also one-match affairs.
Admission is free and games will start at 8 a.m.
There are also 16 pairs competing in the men’s division led by Bryan Bagunas and James Natividad of reigning UAAP champions NU, and Krung Arbasto and Jaron Requinton of UST.
Also battling it out for the P20,000 top prize are James Buytrago and Pol Salvador of NU, Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez of Air Force, Ian Yee and Rangel Varga of UST 2, Jeriel Apelar and AJ Pareja, KR Guzman and Efraim Dimaculangan, Philip Bagalay and Greg Utupo, Jude Garcia and Richard Solis of FEU, Joshua Barrica and Joel Villonson of Army, Jayson Ramos and Henry Pecaña of PLDT, and Clifford Inoferio and Alven Aljas of UE.
Russel Garcia and Reiven Kyle Velera of St. Benilde, Jayjay Solamillo and Gilbert Balmores of Perpetual Help, EJ Ramos and Edmar Bonono of Cignal and Keneth Revilla and Jubith Calio of RTU are also joining in the men’s division. “‹