The University of Santo Tomas (UST) pair of Cherry Rondina and Rica Rivera will spearhead the list of participants in the Rider Beach Volleyball Tournament set for May 22 and 23 at the Green Lagoon Park in Compostela, Cebu.
Rondina and Rica, who steered UST to the 2014 Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s beach volleyball title, have confirmed their participation in the two-day beach volleyball wars that is part of the 8th Ipanema Summer Suncream Music Festival.
The tournament will serve as a sort of homecoming for Rondina, who is from Compostela. Rivera, meanwhile, is a product of the University of San Jose-Recoletos high school volleyball team.
Aside from beach volleyball, also to be featured in the Ipanema Summer Suncream event is the Dip and Dash Aquathlon competition, which will also be staged at the Green Lagoon Park.
During yesterday’s press conference at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino in Lahug, Rider beach volleyball tournament director Jordan Paca said that aside from UST, also set to join the tournament are the Adamson University Bulldogs and the College of St. Benilde.
Organizers are also awaiting the confirmation of the De La Salle University Lady Archers and Ateneo de Manila.
“This will be an exciting tournament because this is the first time that top women’s UAAP beach volleyball teams will be playing against Cebu Schools Athletics Foundation Inc. women teams,” Paca said.
The visiting teams will clash against local teams Southwestern University, University of San Carlos Warriors, USJ-R and the University of Southern Philippines-Foundation Lady Panthers.