UAAP beach volley, badminton up

Action in UAAP Season 76 heats up as beach volleyball and badminton competitions begin this weekend in separate venues.

An early clash of favorites will usher in the beach volleyball tournament at University of the East Caloocan sand court with reigning two-time champion University of Santo Tomas taking on De La Salle on Saturday. The Tigresses and the Lady Spikers clash in the curtain raiser of a 10-game bill at 8 a.m.

With former Most Valuable Player Judy Caballejo having played out her eligibility with UST, Maru Banaticla will have a new partner in Pam Lastimosa, while Kim Fajardo will lead the way for De La Salle with either Cyd Demecillo or Cienne Cruz.

National University, meanwhile, opens its quest for a second straight men’s title against a rebuilding Adamson University side at 10 a.m. and University of the East at 1 p.m.

Other women’s matches are the Adamson-University of the Philippines tussle at 8:30 a.m., Ateneo-NU duel at 9 a.m. and Far Eastern University-UE clash at 9:30 a.m.

After the Bulldogs-Falcons duel, other men’s matches pit the Tamaraws against the Green Archers at 10:30 a.m., the Red Warriors against the Blue Eagles at 11 a.m. and the Fighting Maroons against the Growling Tigers at 11:30 a.m.  FEU, the Season 75 runner-up, returns  to take on UP at 1:30 p.m.