GEN Eslapor put up a show in the just-concluded BVR Recharged presented by Aboitiz Land at Seafront Residences, winning the women's title with her partner Roma Joy Doromal.
On a roll after helping University of Santo Tomas to a UAAP crown and bagging a silver in the 2022 Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures in Subic last year, Eslapor's partnership with Doromal also resulted to a Paraw Regatta championship in Iloilo last month.
Eslapor and Doromal went undefeated in three Pool A matches before beating Grace Pharmacy 2's Cherilyn Sindayen and Rap Aguilar in the semis.
Ranged against the comebacking pair of Bea Tan and Dzi Gervacio, Eslapor and Doromal were solid on offense and defense in the Finals to rule the tournament.
"We decided to give ate Bea all our serves during the game, and the game plan worked; we'll never know the game's trend if we targeted ate Dzi. Ate Dzi and ate Bea were one of the players I had been looking up to when I was still starting in beach volleyball, and this is not just the tournament I played against them," Eslapor told BVR website.
"But every time I got to face them, I always put in mind to be more competitive inside the court and not to be complacent because they are both skilled players and veterans in this sport. I am glad they are back in the sands and that we got to play against them again," she added.
For Eslapor, the partnership with Doromal is working wonders.
"I have known ate Joy since 2019, from a tournament held in Iloilo, but it was just this year that our partnership has built. We have been practicing together for almost three months now, and as new partners, there were adjustments, and we need to develop connection and rhythm inside the court," Eslapor said.
"But it was not that hard for us, maybe because we are used to having different partners, which contributed to how we handled the situation of us being partners. I am happy with what we have achieved so far, this is just a starting line, and we will push ourselves to work harder and strengthen this partnership. I am also proud of ate Joy's performance, especially in this BVR tournament. Her dedication and passion for this game have also inspired me to improve myself in this sport," she added.
It was the BVR's first tournament since October 2021, and Eslapor is happy to showcase her wares in the beach volleyball circuit.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to play again in BVR. Honestly speaking, we wre not expecting anything big; we simply enjoyed the process and had the mindset to go all out. To show the results of our hardwork for the past months regardless of who are we playing against with. We are both happy with the result, we'll work harder so the progression will continue," said Eslapor.
Eslapor is so glad that the BVR gives all beach volleyball athletes like her to hone her skills and prepare for domestic and international competitions.
"In 2018, I had my first ever beach volleyball tournament, BVR on Tour Ilocos Sur, where my partner, Blove Barbon, and I placed 2nd runners up. Since then, BVR has become my training ground and has helped all the players and me to grow in this game. Looking back, I had more numbers of defeats in BVR tournaments than winning championships," said Eslapor.
"Still, our coaches always remind us that the important thing was that we enjoyed and learned something from it. We should not stop ourselves from learning even if we become experts in this field of sport. Every tournament I played in BVR has always been a learning experience for me, and all of that has contributed to the player I am today. BVR has helped develop and grow beach volleyball in the Philippines, and with that, I am delighted that they are back," she added.
Definitely, BVR will see more of Eslapor when the BVR on Tour gets going in the coming months.
