96 teams vying in 15th Nestea Beach Volley national tilt

MANILA, Philippines—A total of 96 teams from across the country will vie for the championship of the 15th Nestea Beach Volleyball tournament which will dangle P100,000 each to the winning men’s and women’s teams.

Twenty four schools—12 each for the men’s and women’s divisions—will be invited to each elimination leg. The top three pairs per leg, or a total of 12 teams, will advance to the national finals slated April 19 to 21 in Boracay in Malay, Aklan.

Kicking off the tournament is the Mindanao leg on Samal Island, Davao, on Feb. 23 to 25, followed by the Visayas elimination in Moalboal, Cebu, on March 9 to 11.

Tanauan in Batangas will host the Luzon leg on March 21 to 23 with the National Capital Region leg scheduled March 25 to 27 at a still undisclosed venue.

University of San Jose Recoletos and University of Southern Philippines Foundation topped the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, when the tournament was last held in 2009.

Visayas also swept the 2004 finals, with USJR winning the second of its three men’s titles and four-time winner Southwestern U bagging the women’s plum.

Foundation University of Dumaguete, the 2008 champion, and Iloilo’s Central Philippine University of Iloilo have confirmed their participation in the Cebu elimination, according to organizers.

“This year’s tournament will be even more exciting as there are now five legs [from the previous four] which gives more players from other provinces the opportunity to compete,” said Nestlé’s Jose Manuel Santos during a recent press conference at the Marciano’s restaurant in Makati.

Aside from the volleyball matches, the tournament will also lead a clean-up campaign in partnership with local government units and the Boracay Beach Management program to raise awareness on the importance of keeping Philippine beaches litter-free.