Perpetual, Letran to defend NCAA beach volley crowns

Perpetual Help seeks to defend its women’s crown while Letran guns for a third straight men’s title when the 86th NCAA beach volleyball tournament opens on Saturday at the La Salle-Greenhills sand courts. Beach volleyball is the third sport, after basketball and chess, to open this season. Games begin at 10 a.m. after the one-hour opening ceremony. Last year’s MVP Keshia de Luna and her equally power-hitting partner April Ann Sartin will once again lead Perpetual’s championship campaign. The De Luna-Sartin tandem defeated a Giza Yumang-LC Quemada St. Benilde side to power the Las Piñas-based school to its first title since beach volleyball was introduced in 2002. Yumang, however, will have a new partner in the talented Rossan Fajardo as they try to regain the crown that has eluded them for four seasons. Host San Sebastian, mentored by multi-title coach Roger Gorayeb, will be pinning its hopes to the Elaine Cruz-Karen Berbano partnership. Veteran Erickson Ramos and newcomer Rudy Gatdula, who replaced Warren Pirante, are hoping to extend the Knights’ reign in the men’s side. Ramos and last year’s teammate Pirante won the crown in Season 85 after ending Arellano U’s Cinderella run in the finals. – JVP, GMANews.TV