By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE series of qualifying tournaments for the Pacific Games beach volleyball event will resume this weekend at the PIC sandcourt.
Sand spikers hoping to make the Pacific Games trip in Apia, Samoa this year, try to earn more points when they join the fifth qualifier this Sunday.
Points are given to participants based on their performance in each qualifier. First placers are awarded 10 points, eight for second, six for third, four for fourth and two for fifth.
The series of qualifying tournaments will account for 65 percent of the selection process.
20 percent will come from the players’ attendance in the series of training sessions with coach Russ Quinn. Two points will be awarded to every player for attending each session.
Failure to attend 50 percent or more of the training sessions will result in disqualification.
The remaining 15 percent will be based on Quinn’s evaluation of each player. In the evaluation, participants will be graded based on their overall fitness/shape, attitude, cooperation, skill level and techniques, which include passing, setting, spiking and service.
Mark McDonald and Chris Nelson topped the first three trials in the men’s division, while the women’s division had different winners, as there were a lot of changes in pairings in the first four qualifiers.
McDonald played in the fourth trial with a new partner in Tyce Mister. Nelson was unavailable due to an injury when the organizing Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association held the fourth trial on Dec. 3.
McDonald and Mister beat three other pairs in the fourth trial.
EJ Lee, who won the third qualifier with partner Linda Anastacio, also prevailed in the fourth trial with new teammate Michelle Hammons.
They downed Heather Kennedy and Kelly Butcher in the finals.