After a successful return last year, the ongoing NCAA Season 99 beach volleyball tournament is seen to feature a more competitive campaign from each of the 10 participating schools.
Back in Season 98, University of Perpetual Help System DALTA pulled off a great run to snatch the title away from then three-peat seeking Emilio Aguinaldo College as the tandem of Louie Ramirez and Jefferson Marapoc upset Joshua Ramillio and Joshua Pitogo.
In the women's side, meanwhile, Colegio de San Juan de Letran also put its name back in the map following a sweep of Perpetual to end the school's more than two decades of drought.
Management Committee chairman Paul Supan of host Jose Rizal University said the break since last season allowed the team to amplify their preparation for Season 99.
"Beach volleyball is an annual tournament so we have one year to prepare so to those defending their respective titles, the other teams naman prepared as best as they could," Supan said during the press conference in Subic.
"So we will have an exciting tournament ahead of us."
Ramirez and Marapoc will both return for this season in bid to complete back-to-back titles while the Lady Knights will feature a new-look squad with holdover Lara Mae Silva leading the squad following the graduation of Season 98 MVP Cha Cuñada.
Supan also underscored that the return of the juniors division in this season will spice things up.
"It was a great tournament and ayon ‘yung pagbabalik ng beach volleyball after the pandemic but this year, we also brought back our juniors division," he added.
San Sebastian College-Recoletos is the winningest school in the women's division while De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde has the most championships in men's. Perpetual and Emilio Aguinaldo College, on the other hand, both have three titles in their bag in the juniors.
—JMB, GMA Integrated News