Shakey’s Super League kickstarts Friday at Rizal Memorial Coliseum

BACK-TO-BACK champion and reigning UAAP queen National University still looms as the heavy favorite but all other squads vow a gallant challenge in the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Collegiate Pre-Season Championship Season 3 starting on Friday (Sept. 27) at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Lady Bulldogs, led by MVP and Alas Pilipinas ace Bella Belen, are poised to complete a hat-trick in the 18-team cast featuring the return of De La Salle University and University of the Philippines after they skipped last season.

All eight schools from the UAAP and 10 from the NCAA are represented in the premier pre-season tourney, under an all-to-play format for equal opportunity for all players, and serving as an appetizer for the resumption of their mother leagues early next year.

UAAP bet Far Eastern University  and NCAA’s San Sebastian College-Recoletos raise the curtains at 3:30 p.m. on Friday followed by the Lyceum University of the Philippines-University of the East duel at 6 p.m. as the official opening ceremony kicks off Saturday.

FEU and SSC-R join NCAA champion College of St. Benilde and Adamson University in Pool D as Lyceum and UE complete Pool B with University of Santo Tomas, Mapua University and the University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta.

Headlining Pool A is NU with Arellano University, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Ateneo de Manila University and San Beda University while La Salle leads Pool C with Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Jose Rizal University  and UP.

But there’s more to it than just games in the third season of SSL, which will hand out cash incentives to each school from its SSL bundle promo that raised more than P11 million last season.

Then there’s the unwavering advocacy to champion the growth of women’s volleyball as SSL also holds the Shakey’s Girls Volleyball Invitational League (GVIL) for high school and the National Invitationals for a nationwide tourney.

“The main focus and goal of SSL is producing champions. We learn every season and may we continue to grow,” said chairman and CEO Dr. Philip Ella Juico of SSL organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc., (ACES), joined by president and COO Dr. Ian Laurel during the season launch Wednesday at the Shakey’s Malate.

“It’s always been a pleasure for Shakey’s. We feel blessed, lucky and privileged to help the Philippine women’s volleyball scene. We hope to continue this strong partnership and commitment,” said Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc., president and CEO Vic Gregorio.

From 18 squads, only the top two from each pool will advance to the quarterfinals with the top-ranked team holding a twice-to-beat edge. The semifinals and finals then will be under a knockout format as games are accessible live and on-demand via Puso Pilipinas, SMART Livestream, Solar Sports Channel 70 on Sky Cable and Channel 59 on Cable Link. — John Bryan Ulanday