Volleyball fans will get a glimpse of the future as 16 high school teams featuring up-and-coming players take center stage in the inaugural Shakey's Girls Volleyball Invitational League which formally fires off on Sunday, May 7 at the San Andres Sports Complex.

Players and coaches of the participating teams in the Shakey's Girls Volleyball Invitational League. (Juan Carlo de Vela)

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UAAP teams, led by juniors champion NU-Nazareth School along with Adamson, University of Santo Tomas, La Salle Zobel and FEU Diliman, headline the field which also features teams from NCAA and top schools within and outside Manila.

Arellano University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Cavite and University of Perpetual Help System represent the NCAA,while Gracel Christian College Foundation, King’s Montessori School, California Academy and St. Clare Caloocan, La Salle Lipa, Bacolod Tay Tung High School and Naga College Foundation are also joining the fray.

"This will serve as a conveyor belt na gumugulong to college and the future of the Philippines. The chain could only go strong as its weakest link so in improving Philippine volleyball, the high school ranks play a key role and later on, the primary level,” said ACES chairman Dr. Philip Ella Juico who is joined by long-time volleyball patron and SPAVI president and CEO Vic Gregorio along with general manager Jorge Concepcion.

“It’s about giving exposure to the Filipino youth. That’s the vision we share with Shakey’s. Nagkakasundo kami doon," he added as Shakey's and ACES ties up anew after a successful staging of Shakey's Super League collegiate pre-season tournament last year.

All 16 teams will be divided into four pools, featuring a format of three sets a game, with the top two teams advancing in the knockout quarterfinals until the finals, where a longer five-set match will be played.