MANILA – The pair of Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons will lead the country's campaign at Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour (BPT) Futures Nuvali starting on Thursday in Santa Rosa City, Laguna.

Champions at the 2022 BPT Future Subic Bay, Rondina and Pons are eyeing to improve their bronze medal finishes in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

Four other women’s pairs and four men’s tandems are entered in the tournament featuring 19 countries, including the US, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Italy.

University of Santo Tomas young stars Khylem Progella and Sofia Pagara are entered in the competition which also has entries from Czechia, Greece, Lithuania, Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Vanuatu, Israel and Japan.

Sunnie Kalani Villapando, who played for Stanford and University of Southern California in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, reunites with Jen Gaviola of the Coast Guard after playing at the Songkhla Futures in Thailand.

“We’re going to be competing, training, getting our mind right for the SEA Games. This is mental preparation," Villapando said.

University Athletic Association of the Philippines champions Honey Grace Cordero teams up with Kat Epa of National University, while the other local pair is composed of Alexa Polidario and Dij Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures silver medalists Jude Garcia and Jaron Requinton lead the local entries in the men's division.

Garcia and Requinton are members of the four-man team that won the bronze at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.

Lerry John Francisco teams up with Edwin Tolentino, while Ronniel Rosales joins Alex Iraya.

Men’s world No. 88. Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov of Israel seeks another title after dominating the BPT Futures Songkhla in Thailand last month. (PNA)