SSC, UST duel in Shakey's V-League opener

MANILA, Philippines - The Shakey’s V-League kicks off its sixth season today with a fitting opener pitting the last conference’s finalists and two of the league’s toughest teams in a twinbill expected to draw a banner crowd at the Flying-V Fil-Oil Arena (formerly The Arena) in San Juan City.

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney makes the country’s premier women’s volley league’s opener doubly significant as she graces the inaugurals where she, being a sports buff herself, is expected to share her thoughts on women power in sports, particularly the steady rise of women’s volley in the country through the Shakey’s V-League.

Ms. Kenney has graced a number of sporting events here, including the PBA, the UAAP and the NCAA, endearing her to a nation so enamored with sports and her presence is expected to further lend prestige to the league which has generated so much interest with its high-powered volley action and thrilling duels the last few years.

San Sebastian College, a four-time NCAA champion which snapped a long title drought in the league with a victory over University of Santo Tomas in the last conference’s title clash late last year, battles the Espana-based squad at 4 p.m. in an early clash of the fancied teams in the league sponsored by Shakey’s Pizza and organized by Sports Vision.

Ateneo-OraCare takes on Adamson, winner of last season’s first conference, in a 2 p.m. duel expected to go down-to-the-wire with the Lady Eagles, boosted by OraCare’s entry as the team sponsor, raring to showcase their form following a rigid two-week training in Thailand.

The parade of the eight competing teams ushers in the opening rites at 1 p.m. with the Cardona Rizal Musical Ensemble doing the invocation and singing the National Anthem while providing a special number at the latter part of the program.

The late Leo Prieto Sr., the founding commissioner of the PBA and the man behind the International Family Food Services, Inc. (Shakey’s), will also be honored while Ms. Guia Gomez, mother of San Juan City Mayor JV Ejercito, will give the opening remarks.

Laurence Ann Latigay of SSC, the MVP of the last conference, will lead the oath of sportsmanship along with skippers of the various teams, including Angela Benting of Adamson, Kara Acevedo of Ateneo, Maureen Penetrante of St. Benilde, Rachel Ann Daquis of FEU, Syvie Artates of Lyceum, Rysabelle Devanadera of SSC, Cathy Barcelon of UP and UST’s Aiza Maizo.

Ricky Palou, Sports Vision president, will introduce Ms. Kenney while Leo Prieto Jr., president of IFFSI, will declare the sixth season of the league, backed by Accel, Mikasa and OraCare, open.

Format is a single round robin elims with the top four teams advancing to the quarterfinal round where they will be joined by top provincial teams Univ. of San Jose-Recoletors and Univ. of St. La Salle-Bacolod. The top four teams will advance to the semis.

The Ateneo-Adamson clash will be aired on Monday on NBN-4 starting at 2 p.m. while the SSC-UST clash will be shown on Tuesday. For updates and results, visit the tournament website at www.v-league.ph. — end it//thanks