By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense beach volleybelles will banner the Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR) on Tour Sipalay leg at the Poblacion Beach in Negros Occidental’s Sipalay City this weekend.

Negrenses Bea Tan and Bianca Lizares will be paired with each other for the first time as they spearhead the stacked women’s beach volleyball competition.

Tan, a former standout of University of St. La Salle, during her high school days, played in last year’s Sipalay leg with Perper Cosas, who will be paired with Erjane Magdato for Pontevedra in the two-day spikefest.

Meanwhile, Lizares is a product of St. John’s Institute and former Palarong Pambansa MVP.

She placed fourth with MJ Ebro as her partner in Sipalay last year.

A bevy of Negrense standouts who are no strangers in the BVR on Tour will also showcase their talents in this laid-back city.

Silay’s pride Honey Grace Cordero, who won the 2023 championship with a 5-0 record with Ilongga Roma Joy Doromal, hopes to win another title in Sipalay with fellow National University sand court standout Kat Epa as her partner this time.

Far Eastern University’s Melody Pons, a native of Talisay City, who studied at Rafael Lacson Memorial National High School, is looking forward to playing at home with Gerzel Petallo.

Completing the nine-team women’s cast are University of Santo Tomas’ Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella, University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos’ 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.

National team mainstay Gen Eslapor will also compete in the women’s division with her younger sister Euri in the Strong Group Athletics squad./ASC, WDJ