National University Nazareth School (NUNS) cemented its reputation as the country’s top high school volleyball program after a breakthrough 2025 Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup Division 1 championship conquest.

Showing grit, composure and unquestionable heart, the Lady Bullpups reigned supreme in the biggest local grassroots volleyball league backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea in its third try after finishing empty-handed in the first two editions.

NUNS behind eventual tournament Most Valuable Player Sam Cantada survived a precarious extended fourth set and displayed composure in a pressure-packed closing stretch of the decider to pull off a thrilling, 27-25, 16-25, 21-25, 30-28, 15-13, gold medal match victory over Tay Tung Bacolod on Saturday at the La Salle Green Hills Gym.

The Lady Bullpups’ tournament sweep completed the school’s amazing “grand slam” following its University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and Palarong Pambansa golden hauls.

“I would admit that this is sweeter considering the number of our graduating players. So I’m just thankful that they will leave as champions in our last tournament together,” said Lady Bullpups head coach Karl Dimaculangan, who also called the shots for the NU Lady Bulldogs’ first of three straight centerpiece Shakey’s Super League Collegiate Pre-season Championship titles back in 2022.

The dream finale, a rematch of the protagonists of the Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Norte over a week ago, was truly a memorable encounter. It was the only championship match in the league backed by Mikasa, Asics, Team Rebel Sports, Belo Deo and Smart that went into five sets.

NUNS saved a match point in the fourth set to bring the match to the full distance before hanging on in a battle of nerves in the fifth frame as the Thunderbolts crumbled under pressure with costly back-to-back errors.

“I think exhaustion was one of the factors. For almost two weeks, the same with Tay Tung, we’ve been playing continuously for the past two weeks. Our players just played their hearts out to win this game,” Dimaculangan said.

Bacolod Tay Tung ace Rhose Almendralejo, who recorded a tournament-best 35 points in the final, was feted as Best Outside Hitter while her teammates Amor Bartolome (Best Middle Blocker), Jan Rose Bulak (Best Setter) and Rhea Tomas (Best Libero) also received individual honors. NUNS’ Harlyn Serneche won Best Opposite Hitter.

A record-setting 30 teams from Metro Manila and other regions, including 10 in the newly introduced Division 2 contest, participated in the tournament organized by Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc. (ACES).

“What started in 2023 as a modest GVIL family of 16 girls’ high school teams has blossomed into the 30-team GVIL community,” ACES chairman Philip Ella Juico said.

“To the credit of Shakey’s vision and in the spirit of its launching the first ever and pioneering Shakey’s school-based women’s volleyball league more than two decades ago, SPAVI (Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc) approved the concept of a girls nation-wide girls high school invitational league which I had, modesty aside, the distinct honor of proposing.”

“After three years, SSL-GVIL, like the two other tournaments in the SSL-SPAVI-ACES portfolio has become an outstanding and established feature of the Philippine volleyball supply chain and ecosystem,” he added.

Domuschola International School overpowered Everest International Academy, 25-11, 26-24, 25-17, in the finals to reign supreme in Division 2.

DIS star Naihma Banal was named MVP and Best Middle Blocker while teammate Micaela Pingris bagged the Best Opposite Spiker citation. Everest’s Wrean Ng (Best Setter), and Immaculate Conception Academy’s Andreanne Tsai (Best Outside Spiker) and Jania Legaspi (Best Libero) round out the Division 2 individual awards winners.