Rebisco, a long-time backer of volleyball, gives the country’s premier girls’ league a big shot in the arm as it sponsors the 18-and-under Rebisco Volleyball League, which gets under way tomorrow (Monday, Nov. 20) at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Laguna.
Twelve teams, composed of the country’s top high school squads, make up the cast in what was formerly known as the Shakey’s Girls Volley, which produced the likes of current volley stars Alyssa Valdez, Jaja Santiago and Jasmine Nabor with Rebisco, the country’s top snack-food company, now taking charge in its continuing effort not only to help develop the sport but also produce the next generation of stars.
Many-time champion Hope Christian High School, Nazareth School of National U and Far Eastern U-Diliman banner the National Capital Region cast with De La Salle-Lipa, Holy Rosary College of Sta. Rosa and Holy Family Academy of Pampanga making up the Luzon delegation.
Visayas will be represented by Bacolod Tay Tung HS, University of San Jose Recoletos and Leyte National HS while Cagayan de Oro’s Angelicum Learning Center, Koronadal National Comprehensive HS and University of Mindanao-Tagum will lead the Mindanao cast in the event organized and managed by Metropolitan Sports and Events Group, Inc. headed by Freddie Infante.
Competition is expected to be fierce in the weeklong event backed by Asics and Mikasa. The field will be divided into two groups with the top two teams from each side after the single round elims advancing to the crossover semifinals with the winners clashing for the crown, according to tournament director Johanz Buenvenida.
“The RVL hopes to provide a competitive venue for high school players to showcase their talent and skills in line with Rebisco’s vision as the main driving force behind Phl volleyball,” said Infante.
The chief backer of Ateneo’s volley program, Rebisco has also a team in the Premier Volley League through the Creamline Cool Smashers. It has also sponsored the national team’s participation in the Asian Seniors Women’s Championship in Laguna, the Asian Women’s Volleyball Club Championship in Kazakhstan and the recent smash-hit Battle of the Rivals which featured Ateneo and La Salle at MOA.
Six matches are on tap each day starting at 1 p.m. with Bacolod Tay Tung clashing with FEU, Hope HS facing Univ. of Mindanao at 2 p.m., Holy Rosary mixing it up with USJ at 4 p.m., National U colliding with Holy Family Academy at 5 p.m., De La Salle-Lipa tangling with Angelicum at 6 p.m. and Leyte NHS squaring off with Koronadal at 7 p.m.
Solar TV will telecast the games on a delayed basis.