Participants of the 2010 Petron Ladies Beach Volleyball tournament try to get their hands on the ball during the PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue in Manila. (Photo by ALBERT GARCIA)

The second leg of the 2010 Petron Ladies’ Beach Volleyball Tournament heads to one of its favorite venues – the Baywalk in Puerto Princesa on April 17 and 18, bringing with it a motley cast of veterans and newcomers all seeking a berth in the Battle of the Champions late in the year.

Organizer Tisha Abundo announced the staging of the Petron volleyball circuit’s second leg at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum Tuesday at the Shakey’s Restaurant, UN Avenue, Manila.

“Puerto Princesa has been a major backer of the Petron volleyball circuit for three years now. It’s where we get massive crowds every time we play at its Baywalk,” said Abundo, a national volleyball star herself during her prime and a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), “That is the reason why the girls are always excited to play there and give the Puerto Princesa people a good beach volleyball show.”

Leading the second-leg cast are former champions Jennifer Manzano and April Almaden of La Salle-Dasmariñas.

Also favored in the two-day volleyball extravaganza backed by Petron, Speedo, Mikasa, and Molten balls and the City of Puerto Princesa, under Mayor Edward Hagedorn, are University of the East tandem of Jimberly Dizon and Aimee dela Peña, and Ateneo’s Sharah Mae So and Khryzette Onishi, who will try to duplicate the first-leg title conquest of their teammate Asia Urquico.