Shakey’s girls volleyball international league kicks off Sunday at DLSU Greenhills Gym

THE Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) will stage its biggest edition to date with 44 teams slugging it out in the rebranded Rising Stars Cup starting this Sunday at the De La Salle University (DLSU) Greenhills Gym.

Reigning champion National University (NU)-Nazareth School headlines the field that will have two divisions for the second year as the SGVIL levels it up in a bid to champion more grassroots and up-and-coming spikers from all over the archipelago.

And for the first time, a foreign squad in Diverse Auckland Cubs from New Zealand, is in the fray to give the young Filipina bets a run for their own money.

“The interest at the high school level in joining the Shakey’s GVIL has exponentially grown, and it is an honor for us, a pleasure for us to be able to host them again this year,” said Dr. Ian Laurel, president of the league organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc. during the tournament presser on Wednesday at the Shakey’s Paseo de Magallanes.

NU leads the 20-team Division I while titleholder Domuschola International School from Pasig banners the Division II with 24 teams.

The NU Lady Bullpups have been drawn to Pool A with King’s Montessori, inaugural champion California Academy, Lyceum of the Philippines Academy and Bethel Academy.

Bacolod Tay Tung, which finished runner-up to NU last year, spearheads Pool B with Canossa Academy, Holy Rosary College, University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta and Immaculate Conception College, while De La Salle-Lipa, Far Eastern University-Diliman, University of the Philippines Integrated School, San Felipe Neri Catholic School and St. John’s Institute make up Pool C.

Former champion Adamson University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Chiang Kai Shek College, University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle Santiago Zobel are in Pool D to complete Division I.

Domuschola International School, which drubbed Everest International Academy in the finale last year, headlines Pool E in Division II with Miriam College, Corpus Christi School, The Beacon Academy, MGC-New Life Christian Academy and San Beda University.

Runner-up Everest International Academy, La Salle Green Hills, Diverse Auckland Cubs, Saint Pedro Poveda College, St. Theresa’s College-Quezon City and UST-B comprise Pool F, while Pool G has Immaculate Conception Academy-Greenhills, Assumption-Antipolo, NU-Nazareth School Team B, St. Jude Parish School, CCF-The Life Academy and PACE Academy.

Completing it are St. Paul College-Pasig, La Salle Zobel-B, St. John Institute Team B, Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu, Bacolod Tay Tung Team B and University of Batangas High School in Pool H.

A three-set format will be implemented in the prelims for faster play with the top two teams from each pool marching on to the knockout quarterfinals until the finals featuring the traditional five sets.

But there’s more to it than just claiming the bragging rights as the best high school team, as the finalists will be fielded as the country’s representatives in the SGVIL Invitationals in July against fancied bets from the United States and Japan.

“When it comes to what’s in store for the winners, we are planning a special edition of the SGVIL Invitationals this coming July. We will invite the top two teams in both divisions to play against their US counterparts, who will be arriving this July,” added Mr. Laurel. — John Bryan Ulanday