Sandcourt babes collide in Puerto Princesa ‘Battle of Champs’

The season’s finest sandcourt babes are coming back to Puerto Princesa for the 2009 Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions this Sunday at the Baywalk. Led by third-leg champ La Salle-Dasmariñas standout April Almaden and Jennifer Manzano, and second leg titlist Pau Genido, who will team up with new partner Amanda Isada, the fourth-leg cast is a mix of former winners and runners-up of the Petron volleyball circuit.

“It’s going to be unpredictable. Anybody can win the championship," said organizer Tisha Abundo during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum Tuesday. “The fourth leg of the circuit gives the cast an extra motivation as it will crown who really is this season’s beach volley queens," added Abundo, a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission. The holding of the Petron volleyball circuit’s final leg is part of the city’s thrust as a top sports tourism destination in the country. It also aims to promote Puerto Princesa’s Subterranean River as a world heritage site and one of the finalists in the global search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. After making the semifinals of the season’s various legs, a couple of participants will be aiming for the ultimate prize this time, such as University of the East’s April Ann Soriano and Jimberly Dizon, and Ateneo bets Asia Urquico and Sharah So. La Salle-Dasmariñas volleybelles Jeusl Wensh Tiu and Regina Tungol are teaming up, while schoolmate Precious Grace Abano will have Satchel Senupe as her new partner. Philippine School of Business Administration’s Dyrene Rose Benecio will be there with Angela Quijencio, along with Emilio Aguinaldo College standouts Kristine Levanza and Annabelle Dionela. “Sobrang competitive ng field, kaya lahat may pag-asang manalo," said Soriano, runner-up in the first leg of the tournament. No matter how tough the two-day tournament is, Manzano said she and her partner are ready. “Naghanda kami para dito. Sa finals na lang kami magkita-kita," Manzano said. - GMANews.TV