Lady Bullpups begin repeat bid

Thrilling action gets underway as a busy 12-match playdate banners the opening day of the fourth staging of the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (SGVIL) Rising Stars Cup on Monday at the La Salle Green Hills Gym.

Division 1 defending champion National University-Nazareth School (NUNS) begins its repeat bid against King’s Montessori in Pool A, capping off the six pairings on Court 1 starting at 8 a.m.

The Lady Bullpups enter the country’s biggest grassroots volleyball league riding the momentum of their recent University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) conquest.

NUNS defeated Bacolod Tay Tung in a cardiac five-set decision in the winner-take-all finale last season behind the heroics of Season 3 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Sam Cantada, Best Opposite Spiker winner Harlyn Serneche, Jenelyn Jacob and Denesse Daylisan.

But with the departure of the four gunners to the seniors rank, NUNS will rely on UAAP Season 88 MVP Diza Berayo, Jhayna Bulandres, setter Rain Navarro, Adelaine Agustin and Akeyla Bartolabac in its attempt to become the first-ever squad to win consecutive crowns in the competitive tournament featuring a record-setting 44 entries overall across two divisions.

“What’s exciting about this year’s competition, aside from an expanded field with 20 teams in Division 1 and 24 in Division 2, is it’s unpredictable. May mga graduates na sa mga teams last year and this time matsa-challenge ‘yung mga holdovers and mga bata na ipakita ang husay nila to help their respective teams,” said Dr. Ian Laurel, president of the league organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc.

Firing off on Court 1 is the Division 2 showdown between Assumption Antipolo and Pace Academy in Pool G, followed by the MGC-New Life Christian Academy and San Beda University tussle in Pool E, and the Pool H clash of St. Paul College-Pasig and De La Salle Zobel Santiago-B.

St. John’s Institute and De La Salle-Lipa square off in Pool C in Division 1 action before University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle Zobel's collision in Pool D of the league backed by Smart Sports, PusoP.com, Solar Sports Free TV, Mikasa, Asics, Team Rebel Sports and Rigour Technology as technical partners.

The opening match on Court 2 pits Canossa Academy against Immaculate Conception College in Pool B of Division 1, followed by the Division 2 battle between Pool G squads NUNS-B and CCF-The Life Academy.

Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and University of Batangas meet in their Pool H debut before reigning Division 2 champion Domuschola International School sets its back-to-back campaign in motion against The Beacon Academy in Pool E.

UST-B and host La Salle Green Hills cross paths in Pool F while last year’s Division 2 runner-up Everest International School begins its redemption tour against Saint Pedro Poveda College in the other Pool F pairing.