18 teams rumble for GVIL Season II title

MANILA, Philippines — The next stars of Philippine volleyball is set for a grand arrival.

The country’s finest young spikers take centerstage anew as the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (GVIL) ushers in a bigger field for its second season starting tomorrow 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-for-spike with them are UAAP’s National U-Nazareth School, Santo Tomas, Far Eastern U-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.

These teams 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 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 Palarong Pambansa this July in Cebu.

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.