SIXTEEN teams will see action in the Shakeys Girls Volleyball Invitational League that comes off the wraps May 6 at the New San Andres gym.
Five schools from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), four from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and schools representing other leagues, including several from the provinces, will be vying in the tournament to be held Saturdays and Sundays.
Since games will only be played every weekends, there will be six matches to be played per day during the first three weeks of an expected five-week run of the meet.
“We’re excited because not only do we have the top UAAP schools, we have the top NCAA schools, and we also have the top non-UAAP and NCAA schools joining the tournament. So we got the best of the best in the high school division,” Ian Laurel, president of the organizing Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc. (ACES) told the recent Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.
Following the successful Shakeys’ Super League Collegiate Pre-Season, ACES chairman Philip Ella Juico stressed it’s time to focus on developing young girls at the high school level.
“Now we’re turning our eyes on the high school division, both junior and high school. Suffice it to say, ACES is confining ourselves to schools,” Juico said. “We are non-professional, strictly amateur organization that thrives on developing young men, and women and girls for future endeavor. It starts here, but it doesn’t end here.”
Juico and Laurel were joined in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, Philippine Olympic Committee, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. by coaches John Yude (Adamson University), Aimee Mendoza (De La Salle-Lipa), Jennifer Arasan (Emilio Aguinaldo College), Gelina Luceno (National University assistant team manager) and Rhea Ramirez (Arellano University).
Also seeing action are Bacolod Taytung, Naga College Foundation, California Academy, Kings Montessori and Saint Clare.
The teams will be divided into four groups of four, with the top two from each bracket after pool play advancing to the playoffs.
The quarterfinals and semifinals are both knockout phase, while the finals could be a best-of-three series.
The tournament ends by the second week of June.