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