V-League's 10th season opens Sunday


An All-Star Weekend, a beach volleyball tournament, and a new broadcast partner are some of the innovations that will spice up the Shakey’s V-League's 10th season.

The first conference opens on Sunday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan City with defending champion Ateneo taking on former six-time titlist the University of Santo Tomas in the 2 p.m. first game. There will be an hour-long opening ceremony that will usher in the season.

Arellano University, one of three new teams in the league, takes on a vastly improved National University at 4 p.m.

“It will be an exciting season with all teams deciding to beef up their rosters. Arellano, De La Salle-Dasmariñas and University of San Carlos [USC] are the three new teams while Letran decided to return to the league,” said Sports Vision President Ricky Palou on Tuesday at Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

Sports Vision Chairman Moying Martelino and Shakey’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Vic Gregorio also graced the forum.

USC is the reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. champion, while La Salle-Dasmariñas ruled the recent National Collegiate Region Athletic Association season

Defending champion Ateneo will be beefed up by former Far Eastern University crowd-drawer Rachel Anne Daquis and Ariel Patnogon, while former UST stalwarts Rhea Dimaculangan and Aiza Maizo will return for another tour of duty for the Tigresses, who are eyeing a record seventh crown.

The other guest players are Melissa Kamille Ogana and Patcharee Sangmuang for Letran, San Sebastian’s resident import Jeng Bualee and Su Roces, former league Most Valuable Players Nene Bautista and Mary Jane Balse for Arellano, Arinne Mei Agarin and Joy Casas for National Collegiate Athletic Association two-time women’s champion University of Perpetual Help System Dalta and Regine Obinque and Ma. Abigail Praca for USC.

Adamson University completes the 10-team field which will be divided into two groups. Group A will have Ateneo, La Salle-Dasmariñas, Letran, San Sebastian and UST and Group B Arellano, NU, Perpetual Help, Adamson and USC.

The eliminations will be a single round-robin affair with the top four teams advancing to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinalists will be divided into two groups.

The top two teams after the quarterfinals will meet in a best-of-three semifinal with the winners playing in a race-to-two contest for the title. The champion will earn P100,000.

An All-Star Weekend, patterned after the National Basketball Association and Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Games, will be held after the second conference where skills challenge contests will also be featured. A separate beach volleyball tournament is also in the pipeline.

AKTv is the league’s new broadcast partner, while GMA 7 will carry the international broadcast. There will also be live video streaming on the league’s website www.v-league.ph.

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