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Bannered by NU, La Salle, and St. Benilde, the top volleyball squads from the UAAP and NCAA mix it up in the Shakey’s Super League preseason tournament
MANILA, Philippines – UAAP women’s volleyball champion National University targets a third straight conference crown as La Salle and UP return to the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-season Championship starting on Friday, September 27, at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
All eight teams from the UAAP and the 10 squads from the NCAA mix it up, with the Lady Spikers and the Fighting Maroons back in the preseason volleyball tournament after taking a leave of absence last year.
“We want to showcase the recruits of the teams, [the players] they’ve acquired during the offseason,” said Dr. Ian Laurel, president of SSL organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc. (ACES), during the league’s press conference on Wednesday, September 25, at Shakey’s Malate.
“The fans can expect new names and new faces. See how they will perform and jell with their teams. Established players will also be playing, so we’ll have the full lineup of teams ready to play.”
The 18 squads are split into four pools with NU, Arellano, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Ateneo, and San Beda bunched in Pool A.
Pool B features University of Santo Tomas, Lyceum, Mapua, University of the East, and Perpetual Help.
La Salle banners the Pool C cast of Letran, Jose Rizal University and UP, while NCAA champion St. Benilde, San Sebastian, and Adamson collide in Pool D.
The Friday kickoff pits FEU and San Sebastian at 3:30 pm, while Lyceum and UE tangle at 6 pm.
“We have the all-to-play format because it encourages more playing time for all the players in the lineup,” said Laurel.
The top two teams in each group at the end of pool play will advance to the next round, where they will be divided into two groups.
Only the top two squads after the round will be armed with twice-to-beat incentives in the crossover quarterfinals of the tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, GCash, Chery Tiggo, F2 Logistics, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner, R and B Milk Tea and Summit Water.
It’s also supported by Mikasa, Asics, Rebel Sports, Eurotel, Victory Liner, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), SM Tickets and Smart Sports as technical partners.
Fans can watch the games live and on-demand via Puso Pilipinas, Smart Livestream, Solar Sports Channel 70 on Sky Cable, and Channel 59 on Cable Link. – Rappler.com
