The RP spikers are expected to have their hands full when they collide with Southeast Asia's powerhouses in Day One of the 23rd SEA Games beach volleyball competitions on Nov. 30 at the University of St. La Salle ballfield in Bacolod City.

Filipino-Americans Haydee Ilustre and Diane Pascua will take on a strong Vietnamese squad at 8 a.m., before facing off with team B of Indonesia at 12 p.m.

Indonesia and Vietnam finished second and third, respectively, in the 2003 SEA Games in Vietnam.

Local standout Michele Laborte and Aklan's Cecille Tabuena, who will banner women's team A of the Philippines, will be heavily tested in front of their home-crowd when they take on defending champion Thailand at 9 a.m.

Rhovyl Verayo of Pulupandan and Parley Tupaz hope to open their campaign in a bright note when they clash with Malaysia at 2 p.m., before the Malaysians square off with RP's team B of Fil-Ams Chad Mowrey and Justin Schonmor at 5 p.m.

Ilustre and Mowrey will be arriving here on Thursday, while Pascua and Schonmor are scheduled to plane in on Saturday. The Fil-Ams are eyed to boost the Philippines' fourth runner-up finishes in the men and women's category when it saw action in the 1997 Jakarta SEA Games.

"It is really my dream to learn from the Fil-Ams because they are participating in bigger tournaments back in the US," Laborte, who also competed with the RP indoor volleyball squad in the 2001 and 2003 Games, said. "I will do whatever it takes just to win the gold.

The Thais are strong and more experienced, but we have the home-court edge to counter with," she said. The squad is at par when it comes to skills and I believe that we could reach the finals as long as we take it one game at a time, Tabuena, who was a part of the 2003 RP indoor volleyball team, said.

The experience of the Fil-foreigners in competitions abroad would be a huge lift for the locals because most of our opponents have joined several international tournaments, assistant coach Jasper Jimenez said. Tupaz, who hails from Capiz, said the biggest contribution that the Fil-Ams could give is to boost the morals of the local athletes. *CIT

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