Reigning UAAP champion La Salle and NCAA titlist College of St. Benilde headline a stacked cast as the Shakey’s Super League stages another breakthrough tourney in the National Invitationals.
Top teams from the UAAP, NCAA, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao comprise the 12-team picture slugging it out for the prestigious national title starting on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
It’s another historic venture for volleyball patron Shakey’s, in partnership with Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc., after launching two upstart tournaments for the benefit of the Philippine volleyball development from the ground up.
Shakey’s held the first Collegiate Pre-Season Championship last year featuring all 18 teams from the UAAP and NCAA before gathering the country’s 16 best high school teams for the Girls’ Volleyball Invitational League this summer.
This time, another bumper crop of talents seen as the country’s future will be on full display.
“True to our commitment to encourage more players, discover and showcase new talents, we’re gonna go nationwide,” said ACES president Dr. Ian Laurel. “Ito ang magandang way para makita natin kung ano pa ‘yung mga talents out there. This is the next one for us.”
Joining La Salle and St. Benilde are Adamson and University of Santo Tomas from the UAAP, Lyceum of the Philippines University and University of Perpetual Help System Dalta from the NCAA.
Completing the cast are Luzon bets La Salle-Dasma and Enderun Colleges, University of San Jose Recoletos and University of Southern Philippines from Cebu as well as Notre Dame of Dadiangas University and Jose Maria College Foundation of Davao City from Mindanao.
All teams, with coaches and officials from Shakey’s and ACES, will be introduced in the official press conference on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Shakey’s E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in Quezon City.