Reigning champion University of Perpetual Help System Dalta is aiming for back-to-back titles when the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 101 junior volleyball tournament unwraps on Monday at the Arellano University gymnasium in Taft Avenue, Manila.
Perpetual coach Sandy Rieta will field nine rookies, including Symon Suyat, Daryll John Torio and Cholo Bustamanteto fill the spots vacated by Nathan Ciriaco, Zyro Ornos, Miguel dela Cruz, Resty Santos and Charles Concina, who are already playing at the senior level.
Meanwhile, mainstays like team captain Gabriel Macatuno, Limuel Valderama, libero JM Regorosa and Finals Most Valuable Player John Lat will be back together with rookies Jared Diez, Kiel Remorino, Tad Castillo, Raven Gale, Donald Sison and Yuri Espeho.
Rieta said he is aiming to capture the 14th title for the Junior Altas Spikers, who won seven championships under him, including last year in which they recorded 11 straight wins before beating Letran College in the best-of-three finals series.
With the volleyball season opening, the tournament will be adopting the basketball tournament format divided into Group A and Group B with single round elimination.
Group A is composed of Perpetual, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Mapua University, San Beda University and San Sebastian College while Group B includes Letran, Jose Rizal University, Arellano University, La Salle Greenhills and Lyceum of the Philippines University.
After the single round robin eliminations, there will be a play-in for the No. 4 and No. 5 of Groups A and B. The No. 4 seed will face the top seed while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams will collide for the chance to advance to the finals.