Shakey's Girls tilt sets spotlight on future of Philippine volleyball

MANILA, Philippines – The next stars of Philippine volleyball are set for a grand arrival. 

The country’s finest young spikers take center stage anew as the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (GVIL) ushers in a bigger field for its second season starting Wednesday at the Adamson University in Manila. 

Eighteen teams, from 16 last season, across the archipelago led by reigning champion California Academy and UAAP girls champion Adamson slug it out for the prestigious volleyball youth crown with an expected strong resistance from regional bets as far as Bicol and Bacolod.

Out to go spike-to-spike with them are UAAP’s National University-Nazareth School, University Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University-Diliman, University of the Philippines-Integrated School and La Salle-Zobel with NCAA’s Arellano, University of Perpetual Help and Emilio Aguinaldo College. 

But unheralded teams and regional squads are determined to give them a run for their own money, spearheaded by runner-up Naga College Foundation and bronze medalist Bacolod Tay Tung High School with Bethel Academy, Chiang Kai Shek College, La Salle-Lipa, Holy Rosary College High School, Kings’ Montesorri School and Lyceum Cavite.

All teams will battle in a single-round robin prelims within their groups such as Pool A (Potato Corner), Pool B (R ‘n B Tea), Pool C (Peri-Peri) and Pool D (Shakey’s) with the only the top two teams from each group advancing to the crossover knockout rounds. 

The tourney will serve as preparations of the schools for their mother leagues and the prestigious Palarong Pambansa this July in Cebu but for Shakey’s and organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management (ACES), it’s a bright stage to develop and showcase the Philippine volleyball’s future.

“Another start, another year of our involvement in women’s volleyball which is something we hold close to our hearts. For the women’s athletes, please continue shooting for your big dreams. Think big, dream big and we’ll do our best to provide you the support and opportunity to achieve those dreams,” said Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc., (SPAVI) president Vic Gregorio, teasing a bigger surprise for the company’s 50th anniversary next year.

“This is start of our 2024 season. This is a part of the process and the production line ika nga for developing young talents in women’s volleyball. We’ll always be here to support high school volleyball and women’s volleyball in general,” added ACES president Dr. Ian Laurel, joined by SPAVI CEO Jorge Concepcion, marketing head Oliver Sicam with Smarts Sports president Jude Turcuato and Maggie del Rosario.

Today’s collegiate stars Angel Canino of La Salle, NU’s Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomon and UE’s Casiey Dongallo with Angeline Poyos and Bernadett Pepito of Santo Tomas are some of the previous young guns to have stamped their class in the Shakey’ tourney.