BVR Dumaguete leg blasts off today

A WIDE- open race for the women’s and men’s crowns looms in the Beach Volleyball Republic On Tour today at the Rizal Boulevard sand court in Dumaguete City.

Newly minted UAAP champion Babylove Barbon and Genesa Eslapor of University of Santo Tomas and El Nido leg winners Charo Soriano and Bea Tan of Perlas, are tipped as favorites but they are facing stiff challenge from eight other international and local women’s pairs.

Barbon and Eslapor are actually returning to the site of their triumphant 23rd Philippine University Games championship late last month, which they hope to replicate in the ninth leg of the tour.

Also, former UAAP champions KR Guzman and Krung Arbasto of the Tigers will go up against an equally tough men’s cast which feature two pairs from host Dumaguete -- Reynald Catipay and Buensuceso Sayson, and Jestorni Tubosa and Jayron Eltanal.

Matches will start at 7 a.m., while the opening ceremonies are set at 2 p.m. with Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo in attendance.

It will be the first time that BVR will stage a leg in Dumaguete, which is in time for the City’s 70th charter anniversary and fiesta.

Among visiting players who will compete in the two-day spikefest are Samaa Miyagawa of Japan and Tin Lai of Hong Kong in women’s, as well as Mitabashi Masato and Takashi Tsuchiya of Japan in men’s.

Completing the women’s cast are Jen Acain and Coyah Abanto (Air Force), Erjane Magdato and Alexa Polidario (UNO-R), Mahriz Cosain and Bianca Lizares (USLS), Dij Rodriguez and Dannah Jimenez (Cebu), Angelina Damas and Grace Barrica (Dipolog), and Jennymar Senares and Jennifer Cosas (Bacolod).

Jessie Lopez and Ranran Abdilla (Air Force), Efraim Dimaculangan and Rancel Vergara (UST), Simon Aguillon and Ralph Savellano (Bacolod), Deanne Neil Depedro and Harold Parcia (USLS), James Buytrago and Edward Camposano (NU), and Mikhail Shavrak and Mike Abria ( Wildcard) are also entered in the men’s division.

The next BVR leg is titled Christmas Open to be held from December 14 to 16 at Sands SM By The Bay.