The Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) is turning up the heat as its “BVR On Tour” nears the finish line with its National Championship all set on May 26 and 27 at the Sands, SM by the Bay. After seven legs of high-level and intense volleyball competition and fun island-hopping across the country, the girls will be back to vie for the title “Queens of the Sands” and a cash prize of P100,000.
BVR founders Charo Soriano, Dzi Gervacio, and Bea Tan are all excited to suit up against formidable foes in the last, and most-scintillating leg in the league’s maiden season. Soriano said in a press conference held at Lola Cafe in Quezon City that the end of this tour means the beginning of more BVR action all over the nation. “We wish to continue to manifest the game of beach volleyball in many more islands in the Philippines in the succeeding tourneys,” she said. Tan added that the tour has allowed them to do more than pursue their passion for the sport. “It gives us a chance to discover and promote the unique beauty of the places we go to,” she shared. For this tour, BVR has gone to places such as Boracay, La Union, Negros Occidental, and Cagayan.
The final leg will be made up of four pools with 16 pairs vying for the top two spot in each group to be able to make a run for the title, according to tournament director Tony Boy Liao. Comprising group A is Soriano and partner Alexa Micek, along with the tandems of Jennifer Cosas and Dij Rodriguez, the Viray sisters of San Beda, and the tandem of Ivee Ilao and Tatiana Sablan. Group B is led by the pairing of Coyah Abanto and Judy Caballejo, while the pairs of DM Demontano and Jackie Estoquia, Rhea Fermilan and Jay Sabas, and Therese Ramas and Janelle Cabahug complete the cast. Meanwhile, Group C is comprised of the pairs of Jona San Pedro and Jessa Aranda, Tan and Fiola Ceballos, Cherilyn Sindayen and Rainne Fabay, and Lot Catubag and Kaka Quilario. Group D, on the other hand, is led by the pairing of Dzi Gervacio and Michelle Morente, with Apple Saraum and Je Brillo, UAAP Season 78 Rookie of the Year Isa Molde and teammate Diana Carlos, and Far Eastern University star Bernadeth Pons and Kyla Atienza.
Soriano expressed her gratitude to the people who have been supporting BVR and helping them get closer to their vision of growing the game, “the people have been very receptive in every region that we went to. Truly, Filipino hospitality is impeccably heartwarming. The support of the Filipino Volleyball Community has been manifested by the amount of messages that BVR gets, thanking us and also inviting us to their respective cities. It’s fulfilling to see the people, especially the kids, play beach volleyball after our games are done,” she added.
BVR aims to promote the beach volleyball lifestyle in the Philippines through providing an avenue for athletes to train, develop their skills, build a community, and compete in high-level exhibition tournaments all over the country. Together with ABS-CBN, BVR will be at the forefront of promoting the sport towards the goal of making the Philippines a competitive force in the world of beach volleyball in the future.
BVR is thankful to the organizations that continue to support their cause: PLDT Home Ultera, C500 Juice Drink, Beach Hut Sunblock, New Era Caps, Skin Station, Delimondo Province of Ilocos Sur, Cagayan Games and Leisure (CGAL), The Villages Clark, Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Lakawon Beach Resort, Municipality of Malay, City of Bayawan at Sands, SM By The Bay.
Don’t miss the broadcast of the National Championship leg of Beach Volleyball Republic’s “BVR On Tour” on ABS-CBN Sports + Action and ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD, the official broadcast partner of BVR, on Friday (May 27) from 2-6PM and on Saturday (May 28) starting at 11AM to 3PM. ABS-CBN Sports, ABS-CBN Sports + Action, and ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD are all under the ABS-CBN Integrated Sports division of ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment company. For more information about ABS-CBN Sports and Beach Volleyball Republic, visit sports.abs-cbn.com, and follow ABS-CBN Sports’ official Facebook and Twitter accounts, @abscbnsports.
