UE, La Salle spikers fancied in Petron tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Rival teams from the University of the East and a home team from Pangasinan fight for supremacy in the Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions which fires off tomorrow at the provincial capitol beachfront grounds in Lingayen.

UE’s Francislyn Cais and new teammate Kryssel Cueva are fancied to battle for the crown along with former La Salle Dasmariñas standout Jennifer Manzano and new partner Cindy Benitez.

Cais will be defending the crown she won with Jessica Paron last year. The two swept University of the Philippines-2’s Pauline Genido and new teammate Liezchel Tiu, 21-18, 21-17, in the Puerto Princesa leg.

Organizer Tisha Abundo accompanied the competing teams in the fourth and final leg of the tournament during the weekly PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Manzano is back after a year’s absence and last March, she and Giselle Bembo of La Salle-Dasmariñas, qualified to this year’s Battle of Champions after beating Cais and Paron,  21-9, 21-6, in Dasmariñas. 

But since Manzano has already finished her studies, she will see action with Benitez under the Pangasinan banner.

Bembo, on the other hand, will try to make it to the semifinals, and hopefully the finals with Iari Yongco in the event backed by Mikasa and Molten Balls, Speedo and with Business Mirror as a media partner.

They will, however, face challenges from the likes of Philippine School of Business Administration’s Joan Arceo and Grace Masangkay, UE-2’s Leuseth Dawis and Ashlee Razon, Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Lourdes Patilano and Donna Factor.

Mapua-1’s Bianca Reyes and Mabele Lu are playing for the first time with Mapua-2’s Patricia Aquino and Alissa Magallanes, while Rizal Tech’s Jessa Aranda and Jonafer San Pedro will also be there, along with Pangasinan-2’s Melanie Carrera and Cassandra Lleda.