NATIONAL University and Hope Christian High School take on Holy Family Academy of Pampanga and University of Mindanao-Tagum, respectively, today (Monday) in two featured matches kicking off the inaugural 18-and-under Rebisco Volleyball League at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Laguna.
The NU spikers, represented by Nazareth School, are raring to impose their strength early in the week-long tournament which features 12 of the country’s top high school volley squads, including three each from the NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
NU tangles with HFA at 5 p.m. in a heavy six-game bill ushering in the national finals of the event that also includes Far Eastern U-Diliman (NCR), De La Salle-Lipa, Holy Rosary College of Sta. Rosa (Luzon), Bacolod Tay Tung HS, University of San Jose Recoletos and Leyte National HS (Visayas), and Cagayan de Oro’s Angelicum Learning Center and Koronadal National Comprehensive HS (Mindanao).
With new sponsor Rebisco taking over the league long considered as the spawning ground of volley talents, the organizing Metropolitan Sports and Events Group, Inc., headed by Freddie Infante, has expressed confidence the RVL will continue to produce talents in the mold of Alyssa Valdez and Jaja Santiago.
FEU and Bacolod Tay Tung HS face off at 1 p.m. with Hope Christian and UM-Tagum slugging it out at 2 p.m. to be followed by the 4 p.m. match between Holy Rosary College and USJ-Recoletos after the brief opening rites to be graced by Rebisco AVP for Marketing Communications Lulu dela Peña.
De La Salle-Lipa faces Angelicum LC at 6 p.m. while Leyte NHS and Koronadal NCHS collide in the 7 p.m. main dish of the tournament backed by Asics and Mikasa.
The field is 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.
Solar TV will telecast the games on a delayed basis.
Pool A is composed of NU, UM-Tagum, HFA, Koronadal, Leyte and Hope Christian while DLS-Lipa, Bacolod Tay Tung, Angelicum LC, USJ-Recoletos, Holy Rosary College and FEU make up Pool B.
