Cebu powerhouse University of Southern Philippines Foundation and University of San Jose-Recoletos lead three other provincial squads that will test their mettle against the best Manila-based teams in the inaugural Shakey's Super League National Invitationals set next month.

With its goal of giving much-deserved exposure and recognition to volleyball talents outside of the capital region, the league is bringing in two teams each as representatives for Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for the competition that will kick off on 29 July at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

USPF and USJ-R, the top two teams in the 2023 season of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc., will banner the qualifiers from the Visayas.

They will be pitted against the top three teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association.

"True to our commitment to encourage more players through exposure and to discover talents like talent identification, we are bringing in the top three teams from the NCAA and the UAAP and the top two teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to play against each other," Ian Laurel, president of Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc., said.

USPF and USJ-R, the top two teams in the 2023 season of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc., will banner the qualifiers from the Visayas.

Joining them are Luzon representatives De La Salle University-Dasmarinas and Enderun College while Notre Dame of Dadiangas University and Jose Maria College of Davao will be the Mindanao bets in the tournament, which will have a pool play format in the preliminary round.

The two Mindanao teams qualified through a collegiate tournament organized by the Northern Mindanao Volleyball Association of Coaches and Referees last April.

"I think this is the best way for us to see the talents that are out there," Laurel said.

Making a homestand are Manila's finest led by UAAP champion De La Salle University and back-to-back NCAA title holder College of Saint Benilde.

UAAP runner-up National University, which ruled last year's SSL Collegiate Pre-season Championship, and Adamson University as well as NCAA second placer Lyceum of the Philippines University and University of Perpetual Help System Dalta.

The 12 teams will be divided into four pools with the top 2 advancing to the knockout quarterfinal. The semifinal and final will also be a winner-take-all affair.

There will be a total of 24 matches in the short tourney that will run in eight playdates.

This will be the second time that the organizers will fly in teams from around the country to compete for the honor of being named the best in the Philippines following the successful staging of the Shakey's Girls Volleyball Invitational League.

Antipolo-based California Academy ruled the SGVIL with Naga College Foundation and Bacolod Tay Tung High School taking the rest of the podium spots proving that the talents and skills of provincial-based players are at par if not better than those from Manila.