By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Twenty Western Visayas (WV)-based volleybelles are set to strut their wares when the UAAP Season 85 women’s volleyball tournament opens this afternoon, February 25, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Negros Occidental is well represented in the upcoming UAAP volleyball season with 10 spikers, while Iloilo came in with five, Bacolod City with three, while Guimaras and Antique with one each.
Defending champion National University Lady Bulldogs will have five Region 6-based players in Princess Ann Robles (Iloilo City), Pearl An Denura (Iloilo’s Dumangas town), Camille Lamina (Guimaras), Shaira Jardio (Negros Occidental’s Talisay City), and Myrtle Escanlar (Pontevedra town).
Season 84 runner ups De La Salle University Lady Spikers also has five in Amie Provido (Iloilo City), Jessa Ordiales (Talisay City), Marite Espina (Negros Occidental’s Silay City), and Maicah Larroza and Angel Canino (both from Bacolod City).
On the other hand, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons has four in Talisaynons Alyssa Bertolano and rookie Nikha Cabasac, graduating setter Marianne Sotomil (Iloilo’s Pavia town), and Irah Anika Jaboneta (Antique’s San Jose de Buenavista town).
Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws has two in Ann Monares (Bacolod City) and Kiesha Bedonia (Talisay City), same with Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles in Roma Mae Doromal (Iloilo City), and Beautiliza Lomosco (Negros Occidental’s San Carlos City).
Meanwhile, University of Santo Tomas Golden Tigresses has one in Cassie Carballo (Silay City), while Adamson University Lady Falcons has Abigail Buenaviles Panique (Negros Occidental’s San Enrique town).
University of the East Lady Warriors was the lone UAAP team to not have a Region 6-based player on its roster, with rookie Chrisann Susbilla (Iloilo City) not making it to the final roster.
Set to faceoff on opening day today, February 25, were the Lady Falcons and the Lady Warriors at 12:00 noon, to be followed by the Lady Bulldogs against the Lady Eagles in the second game at 2:00 p.m.
Battling on Sunday, February 26, were the Fighting Maroons against the Lady Tamaraws in the first game at 12:00 noon, followed by the Golden Tigresses-Lady Spikers encounter at 2:00 p.m./ASC, WDJ