The 56th season of the Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (WNCAA) unwraps Saturday at Makati Coliseum, with a festive opening ceremony prepared by host Assumption College-San Lorenzo.

The event starts at 10 a.m. with the participation of the 16 participating schools while three basketball matches are scheduled in the afternoon.

Assumption College will take on sister team Assumption Antipolo at 1 p.m., followed by the University of Santo Tomas-Angelicum College versus St. Jude Catholic School clash at 2:30 p.m., both in the juniors division.

Centro Escolar University, the 12-time seniors defending champion, faces University of Makati at 4 p.m.

On Sunday, the volleyball tournament starts at St. Scholastica’s College-Manila gym; basketball 3x3 (midgets division) at Makati Coliseum; and futsal at St. Paul College Pasig.

Other members of the country’s first and only tri-level league for women are Chiang Kai Shek College, La Salle College Antipolo, De La Salle Zobel, Miriam College, Philippine Women’s University, St. Stephen’s High School, San Beda College Alabang and University of Asia & the Pacific.

They will also compete in chess, badminton, swimming, taekwondo, poomsae, table tennis, tennis, cheerdance, cheerleading and street dance.

This year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers, Building Legacies.”

“We take pride in elevating the role of women not just in sports, but in their overall being,” Sr. Irene Cecile Torres, president Assumption College, said during the media launch on Wednesday.

The 55th season overall champions were Assumption Antipolo (midgets), De La Salle Zobel (juniors) and Centro Escolar (seniors).