Abdilla, Cordero eye BVR Sipalay conquest

SIPALAY CITY --- National men’s team mainstay Ranran Abdilla and young star Honey Grace Cordero seek to rule the Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) on Tour Sipalay City leg for a second straight season with different partners starting today at the Poblacion Beach here.     

Abdilla shoots for a repeat but this time with new partner AJ Pareja for Alas.

Last year, Abdilla won the leg with Rancel Varga via an amazing five-match sweep.

Australia’s New South Wales Phoenix stalwarts Luca Rocker-Graham and Killian Donovan will add spice to the men’s competition, as they are going out all out and give a major challenge to the local field led by Abdilla and Pareja.

Alas B’s Varga and Lerry Francisco, University of Santo Tomas’ Aldwin Gupiteo and Dom Gabito, Far Eastern University’s Kyle Retiza and Mikko Espartero, De La Salle University’s Andre Espejo and Chris Hernandez, Air Force’s Pol Salvador and Edwin Tolentino, Cebu’s Samlet Booc and Michael Marabe, and two Sipalay pairs, Ivan Sanao and John Lloyd Guntan, and Johnrel Talita and John Joseph Mirasol are also vying for the men’s crown.

Meanwhile, Cordero will be paired with fellow National University stalwart Kat Epa.

Cordero won the 2023 championship with a perfect 5-0 record with sand court veteran Roma Joy Doromal.

The proud native of Silay City headlines a bevy of Negrense standouts who are no strangers to the BVR on Tour ready to showcase their talents in this laid-back city.     

The Negros tandem Bea Tan and Bianca Lizares hope to wow the host crowd with their vast experience in the sand.      

FEU’s Melody Pons, younger sister of former BVR champion and now Premier Volleyball League star Bernadeth, hails from Talisay City, seeks to perform well at home with Gerzel Petallo.       

Other Negrense stars vying for the crown are Pontevedra’s Erjane Magdato and Perper Cosas, UNO-R’s Edrilyn Garbajosa and Kyla Gallego and two teams from Sipalay, the pairs of Kimberly Babe Deuyan and Trisha Gene Geneblaza, and Japttia Rose Arquiro and Princess Kyle Judilla.     

Also in the women’s field are Strong Group Athletics’ Gen Eslapor, a national team standout, and her younger sister Euri, and UAAP champions Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella of UST.

A BVR Sandroots program is set at 3 p.m. on Sunday. A referees’ clinic was held on the eve of the two-day tournament.