FIRST-LEG champions Sheena Rose Teves and Lourdes Patillano will face tougher challenges when the 2007 Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions gets under way Friday at the Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City.

They are looking forward to meeting the  winners of the past three legs early this year, with last year’s champion Sheryl Laborte and Bacolod campaigner Jenny Torres emerging as their biggest worry. 

“Medyo worried kami dahil makakalaban namin ang mga datihang nag-champion. Marami silang experience compared sa amin,” remarked the 21-year-old Teves during yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters’ Association Forum at Shakey’s United Nations Avenue.

The beach volley tournament, backed by Petron, Speedo, Mikasa, Asian College of Science and Technology, Arellano University, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Seorabeol Grand Leisure Hotel, Jollibee-Subic, Aristocrat Subic and Meat Plus, is now in its fifth year.

The lanky Hotel and Restaurant Management student from the Asian College of Science and Technology, who will be teaming up with Patillano, said they are expecting second-leg titlists Kat Villaluz and Arlene Bernardo to come up with a strong showing as well.

Teves and Patillano won the first leg after they beat Olivarez College bets Roseanne Barroga and Rowena Felices, 21-19, 21-17.

Villaluz and Bernardo ruled the second leg, when they prevailed over Ateneo’s Charo Soriano and Patricia Taganas, 21-16, 21-15.

Laborte, a varsity coach for Miriam Colleges, and Torres bagged the third-leg title when they repulsed promising collegiate rivals Mary Jane Porcia and Mary Anne Calleja, 21-14, 21-7, in a sweep of their best-of-three finals showdown.

Organizer Tisha Abundo said the presence of the champions of the previous will give the two-day competitions an exciting mix.

“This is the fourth leg. This is the Battle of the Champions. And we have thrown in some good performers from the first and second legs,” said Abundo, a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission.

Adamson U picks up 2^nd straight win

ADAMSON University pounced on Lyceum’s erratic game as it cruised to a 25-18, 25-22, 25-13 victory yesterday to seize the solo lead in the Shakey’s V-League 2007 Second Conference at The Arena in San Juan City.

Matches too close to call in Petron Battle of Champions

FIRST-LEG champions Sheena Rose Teves and Lourdes Patillano will face tougher challenges when the 2007 Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball Battle of Champions gets under way Friday at the Subic Bay Freeport in Olongapo City.

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