Western Visayas, NCR head Shakey’s GVL finals cast

Games tomorrow

3 p.m. – Opening Ceremony

4 p.m. – CVI vs SLU

5 p.m. – NMI vs NCR

6 p.m. – NLU vs WVI
 

MANILA, Philippines - Western Visayas and National Capital Region kick off their respective drive in the Shakey’s Girls’ Volleyball League Season 13 tomorrow, hoping to hurdle their initial matches in separate groups for the momentum needed in the cutthroat national finals at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Western Visayas battles Northern Luzon in Pool A in the 6 p.m. match, capping an explosive opening triple-bill in the national final which gathers the top eight teams after the grueling regional finals of the annual event put up by Shakey’s for the country’s leading private and public school girls’ volley teams.

NCR, on the other hand, clashes with Northern Mindanao at 5 p.m. in Pool B after the Southern Luzon-Central Visayas setto, also in Pool B, at 4 p.m.

Western Visayas, then represented by St. John’s Institute, stunned NCR in a thrilling five-setter to snatch last year’s League of Champions crown.

With members of the Central Philippine University bannering this year’s squad, Western Visayas hopes to make it back-to-back in the annual event long considered as the spawning ground of volley talents in the country.

But NCR is out to redeem itself with National U’s aces, led by MVP Faith Nisperos, Joy Doromal, Jasmine Nabor and top setter Joyme Cagande, leading the Big City bets’ campaign in the league that has produced the likes of Jaja Santiago, Jovelyn Gonzaga, Rachel Daquis and Alyssa Valdez.

Other teams in Pool A of the national finals, backed by Asics, Mikasa and My Phone, are Southern Mindanao, represented by the core of the Davao City National High, and Eastern Visayas, bannered by the Leyte National High, while Northern Luzon will be led by the Angeles University Foundation aces.

Southern Luzon will be spearheaded by regional winner De La Salle-Lipa, while Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao will be headed by mainstays of the University of San Jose-Recoletos and Angelicum Learning Center, respectively.