LINGAYEN - The Western Visayas men and women's volleyball squads open their campaigns when they take on separate rivals in Day One of the National Private Schools and Athletics Association Games volleyball tournament at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center Covered Courts here.

The Stephen Patrona-mentored Western Visayas male spikers will battle Region II at 1 p.m., while the Region VI volleybelles will collide with Region III at 4 p.m.

The women's basketball team of Western Visayas will also begin their campaign to win the championship as games in sepak takraw, badminton, chess, table tennis and lawn tennis will also fire off.

"I have not seen the game of Region III yet so I could not determine our chances, but my players are well-prepared," Roger Banzuela, coach of the WV women's volleyball team, told the DAILY STAR.

Banzuela, who is also the Philippine Volleyball Federation president, said he expects quicker Danilyn Lequigan, setter Ola Lopez, Nene Bautista, Michele Amalia Soledad Ortigosa and Christine Dioso to spearhead the attack of his squad.

Majority of the Region VI women's volleyball team is composed of volleybelles from the University of St. La Salle as only Dioso, a student of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, and Bautista of the University of San Agustin-Iloilo have been tapped by Banzuela to strengthen his team.

Patrona said his spikers are ready to battle and their preparations have been rigid to put up a good showing in the tournament.

The Western Visayas men's volleyball squad is bannered by standouts from the Iloilo Doctor's College, USA, John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation and Colegio de la Purisima.

The Region VI delegation that brought home the overall championship of the National PRISAA Games in Zamboanga City last year is the reigning titlist in women's table tennis, men's chess, sepak takraw and women's badminton aside from dominating the men's swimming competitions. *CIT

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