UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas aims for a third straight golden double despite the depature of its vital cogs from last year’s women’s and men’s championship runs as the UAAP Season 87 collegiate beach volleyball tournament blasts off Friday at the Sands SM By The Bay.
Last season’s women’s MVP Gen Eslapor and men’s standout Rancel Varga have already graduated but the Tiger Sands remain as top title favorites in both divisions.
Sofiah Pagara will have rookie Khy Progella as her new partner, and their chemistry won’t be a problem as the Alas Pilipinas mainstays teamed up in international competitions, the most recent was in the Asian Senior Beach Volleyball Championship in Santa Rosa, Laguna, as well as in domestic tournaments.
As a rookie, Pagara teamed up with Eslapor in the Tiger Sands’ six-peat and ninth women’s crown overall last year.
Progella will make her collegiate debut after helping UST rule the league’s first two UAAP high school girls beach volleyball editions.
Reigning MVP Alche Gupiteo will now join forces with Dominique Gabito as UST eyes a sixth consecutive men’s championship and ninth overall.
Varga, who is also part of Alas men’s beach volleyball team, was Gupiteo’s partner when the Tiger Sands successfully defended the throne last year.
UST women’s team will first play last season’s third placers Far Eastern University in the morning session at 7 a.m. and will return to afternoon to go up against Ateneo at 3:30 p.m.