A total of 16 teams are set to participate in the returning Shakey's Girls Volleyball Invitational League that comes off the wraps on May 6 at the New San Andres gym.

Five schools from the UAAP, four from the NCAA, and schools representing other leagues, including several coming from the provinces, will be vying in the tournament to be held Saturdays and Sundays only.

Since games will only be played every weekends, there will be six matches to be played per day during the first three weeks of an expected five-week run of the meet.

“We’re excited because not only do we have the top UAAP schools, we have the top NCAA schools, and we also have the top non-UAAP and NCAA schools joining the tournament. So we got the best of the best in the high school division,” said Ian Laurel, president of the organizing Athletic Events and Sports Management Inc. (ACES) during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday, April 18, at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Following the successful Shakeys’ Super League Collegiate Pre-Season, ACES chairman Philip Ella Juico stressed it’s time to focus on developing young girls at the high school level.

“Now we’re turning our eyes on the high school division, both junior and high school. Suffice it to say, ACES is confining ourselves to schools. We are non-profesiional, strictly amateur organization that thrives on developing young men, and women and girls for futute endeavor. It starts here, but it doesn’t end here,” said Juico.

Both Juico and Laurel were joined in the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation by coaches of some of the participating teams, namely John Yude (Adamson), Aimee Mendoza (De La Salle-Lipa), Jennifer Arasan (Emilio Aguinaldo College), Gelina Luceno (National University assistant team manager), and Rhea Ramirez (Arellano University).

Aside from La Salle Lipa, other schools seeing action are Bacolod Taytung, Naga College Foundation, California Academy, Kings Montessori, Saint Clare, among others.

“As we said invitational ito, parang naging national invitational championship. You have the cream of the crop,” said Juico.

“Having a high level competition, sama-sama UAAP, NCAA, and other schools, looking forward, each and every year for a big tournament like this, meron silang paghahandaan, may goals sila,” That’s what we aspired to accomplish with this high school level tournament,” Laurel added.

All 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four teams each, with the top two from each bracket after the pool play will advance to the playoffs.

The quarterfinals and semifinals are both knockout phase, while the finals could be a best-of-three series.

The tournament ends by the second week of June.