The sun is glaring in their eyes. Sweat is dripping, mouths are dry. The ball goes up, and with a crashing blow, flies to the opponents’ court. The opposition must act quickly, lest a point be awarded to their foes. They receive the ball, and immediately set up for the attack. The receiver gently tosses the ball to his teammate, then quickly squares up and jumps the highest he can for the spike as the ball goes back to him. Their foes anticipate the attack; one jumps up to block the shot, the other stays back to receive any long bombs. Alas, the shot goes through the defender’s outstretched arms. The rear man lunges forward to stop the ball from hitting the sand, but it is he who hits the deck, unsuccessful. A point goes to the offensive team, and the sequence is repeated again and again until a victor is decided. This is not your ordinary volleyball. This is beach volleyball.
For the people at Nestle Philippines, Inc., summer is Nestea Beach Volleyball season. Players from colleges and universities all over the country were invited to slug it out in scorching volleyball action. They played to qualify for the next rounds, all of which ended in Boracay for the finals. The eliminations were held at various places, even in a place as suburban as the Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Along with the volleyball net, tents, poles, banners and bleachers, tons of sand were brought to the open lot beside the gargantuan shopping complex. After all, what is beach volleyball without the very thing beaches are made of? The sun was no problem, as it brightly shone on the court and provided an extra challenge to the already talented athletes.
Even though there were two divisions in which a team participated in, namely the men’s and women’s divisions, spectators were not disappointed as the action from both divisions were equally exciting and intense. After a series of games, the contenders were separated from the pretenders, advancing to the next round. And so, as another leg was completed, another one soon started at another venue. The sand was shipped away (if the venue was not a beach); the banners, posters, bleachers, tents and poles were disassembled, to be erected at another place, to serve as a battlefield once again.
As the teams played to their best, spectators came to the stands and watched rally after furious rally, refreshed from the summer heat by, of course, Nestle’s newest drink, NESTEA Fit with L-Carnitine. They cheered for their favorite players and heckled the opposing team. They were amazed at every powerful spike, and quickly avoided the ball when the force of the spiker caused it to go to the stands. Of course, what would any big event be without any celebrities? Yes, Nestle brought in some of its endorsers to glitter up the stage and elicit the occasional screams from the spectators. After a few pictures with the media, and of course some with the fans, the TV and movie personalities invited even played a friendly game of beach volleyball themselves. Although there were many misses, there were also many hits as well. The people were surprised as the hunks they swoon at came short in their services, with some sailing out of the court. And the glamorous divas that people thought were all beauty wowed the crowd with their excellent services and surprisingly, a few powerful spikes to match. The crowd laughed, shrieked and applauded as the celebrities piled on the points as they also piled on the slip-ups.
Before the finals, a fashion show was held showcasing the latest beachwear and summer wear from a noted designer. Both models and celebrities pranced upon the catwalk, wearing stylish outfits made for the summer to the smooth music of a club DJ.
The finals soon came, and everyone descended on the white shores of Boracay, Aklan. Here, the best of the best from the elimination rounds battled for the championship. Together with the blazing heat was fiery action on the sands of the court, as players jumped, dived and smashed their way to victory. Players even got “powdered” as they hit the floor, emerging sand-covered everywhere, to the delight of the crowd. In the end, the champions in the men’s and women’s division were crowned, after a gruelling journey to the top. The event ended with a victory party, where the players and the organizers celebrated by rocking out to live performances of the country’s hottest bands 6Cyclemind and Sandwich, and then grooved to the club beats of Driven Manila’s DJ David Ardiente. The partying lasted all night, a small but rewarding token of appreciation for a job well done.
And so, yet another season has ended. But, the hope of intense volleyball action lives on, beckoning to those who think they are worthy of such a challenge. The sun and the sands shall once again test the mettle of those young men and women in the game that is not just beach volleyball, but Nestea Beach Volleyball.
- by Josef Raymund P. Novales
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