By Adrian Stewart Co

Former University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) standouts will banner the two Abanse Negrense squads that will compete in the 2021 Philippine Superliga (PSL) Beach Volleyball Challenge later this month.

The first team is to be led by the tested pair of Alexa Polidario and Erjane Magdato, while the other squad is led by Jennifer Cosas and Gelimae Villanueva. Jason Delmo will serve as the head coach.

The partnership of Polidario and Magdato had produced numerous beach volleyball championships since their days with UNO-R, while Cosas and Villanueva have also partnered in some local tournaments before.

Prior to their departure to Subic, Zambales, where the beach volleyball tournament will take place, the delegation made a courtesy call to Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson over the weekend.

“I am expecting them to carry the Negrense colors with great pride in this tournament,” Lacson said. “It is also important that the Negros Team will be the ‘most sportsmanlike’ team in the tournament.”

“However, I also expect both the Negros teams to face each other in the finals,” the governor added.

The two Abanse Negrense beach volleyball teams will be among the three guest teams in the PSL’s beach volleyball competition aside from Toby’s Sports.

PSL mainstay’s Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors and United Auctioneers Inc., which represents Chery Tiggo, will have two team’s each, while F2 Logistics Cargo Movers will field in one team.

The 2021 Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge, which is slated from February 26 to 28 at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Administration in Zambales, is the first official volleyball tournament that will be played since the lockdown last year.

The PSL, however, has still to get the guidelines for amateur sports from the Department of Health and the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to proceed with its tournament./ASC, WDJ