EIGHT matches usher in the main draw of the Smart Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Nuvali Open with the organizing Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) adding premium on concerns about the intense summer heat.

The matches involving 46 squads from seven Asia-Oceania countries will be determined after the preliminary inquiry scheduled late Wednesday in a general meeting that also focused on expectations on temperatures in the four-day event that could reach the high 30s at the world-class Nuvali Sand Courts in the City of Santa Rosa.

The matches start at 8 a.m. with tickets available at www.ticketmax.ph where beach volleyball fans could avail themselves of the P220 day pass.

There will be no matches in between 12 noon and 2 p.m., according to event director Antonio Carlos Jr., who added that it will be an onsite decision for the AVC Technical Delegate Thomas Chang (Hongkong) and Referee Delegate Jayaraman Srinivasan (India) in the event of a temperature surge.

PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said all systems are in place and the Nuvali Sand Courts by Ayala Land have been conditioned for its second hosting of a major international competition after last December’s Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Challenge.

“Everything is ready for the PNVF’s first major international competition for the year and precautions—such as breaks at noonwhen the sun is at its hottest—and medical teams well-equipped for heat-related incidents—are also in order,” Suzara said.

Major international sports events, including tennis’s Australian and US Opens, always put premium on expected high temperatures and the Smart AVC Nuvali Open is no exception, Suzara said.

The Philippine teams under Brazilian coach Joao Luciano Kiodai and Mayi Molit-Prochina include the women’s pairs of Gen Eslapor and Kly Orillaneda, and Alexa Polidario and Jenny Gaviola and the men’s tandems of James Buytrago and Rancel Varga and Ranran Abdilla and AJ Pareja.

Three teams from Australia, Japan and Thailand, two pairs from Hong Kong, Singapore, Kazahkstan and New Zealand, as well as women’s squads from Indonesia, Macau and Malaysia are seeing action in the event backed by Foton, Akari, Mikasa, Senoh, Seda, Asics, Cignal, One Sports, One Sports+ and Pilipinas Live.

In the men’s division, Australia, Japan and Thailand have entered three teams, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Iran and New Zealand each had two, while China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Macau are also in the mix.

The PNVF will also host in Nuvali the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour-Futures from April 11 to 14 and after that the Volleyball Nations League Men’s Week 3 from June 18 to 23.

Also on the PNVF calendar are the 5th AVC Challenge Cup for Women in May, 4th Southeast Asia V League Week 2 in July and the Volleyball World Pro Tour Challenge also in Nuvali in November.