UP pair tries to revive winning ways in Petron beach v’ball finale

MANILA, Philippines – Danielle Michiko Castañeda and Leah Acepcion like the venue of the last stop of the Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball. It’s a place where they’ve won before. The beach-spiking pair from the University of the Philippines expressed confidence as the tournament’s Battle of Champions – an event that pits the top teams in the three regular legs of the Petron series – heads to the Baywalk sand courts in Puerto Princesa City. Castañeda and Acepcion won the Petron second leg in the Palawan capital last April. “We’ve been preparing hard for this tournament the past few months and I can say we’re ready," the five-foot-10 Castañeda, a Special Education major, said. The Adamson pair of Hannah Suarez and Angela Benting, the champions of the third leg, will provide stiff competition for the UP pair, as seven other teams from Metro Manila and Palawan take a shot at the crown. Making up the roster from Manila are Carmela Lopez and Ivory Joy Rivera of UP, Roxanne Naral and Dyrene Rose Benecio of Philippine School of Business Administration, Precious Grace Abano and April Almaden of De La Salle-Dasmariñas, Regina Tungol and Jeusel Wensh Tiu of DLSU-Dasmariñas, and Christine Levanza and Donna Mae Factor of Emilio Aguinaldo College. Two pairs from Palawan will be named before the start of competitions. Ginaflor Alanguilan and Abigail Escandor of University of the East begged off because the Battle of Champions would coincide with their final exams. – GMANews.TV